Rewind, Relive, Return
by kashaminami
Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it?
1. Chapter 1 Reenter: Uzumaki Naruto!

A/N: I'm having my book published next year and I'm really nervous about it. So, I decided to post something online before my book release and try to calm my nerves. Any form of feedback, comment or criticism is very much appreciated. If you can, please point out all the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes you can find. I haven't watched _NARUTO_ in a while as I have been too busy with school, my book and _NARUTO SHIPPUDEN_, so I'm only writing the stuff that I can vaguely remember, or – if possible and when I have the time – I'd try to write while I watch the episodes. If there are any mistakes or fact mix-ups in my fic that are different from cannon, I would very much appreciate it if you could point those out as well. I want to keep this as close to canon as possible. (Though - if you can - please ignore the fact that Tobi and Uchiha Madara are two completely different people. They have to be the same person for my fic to work.) I'll do my best to keep all characters in character and not let anyone get too OOC – if that happens please inform me. Thank you.

Warnings: Slight OOC, spoilers and possible grammatical errors.

Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it? And the impossible is all that Uzumaki Naruto has ever done and – most likely – _has_ done once more.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto, _I'm just borrowing its characters. Please don't sue.

Hope you enjoy!

_Nami_

XxX

**Rewind, Relive, Return**

CHAPTER 1 – _Re-enter: Uzumaki Naruto! What the Hell is Going On, Kurama?_

XxX

"_NARUTO!"_

"_You guys, run! I'll buy as much time for you as I can! Just GO!"_

Their screams…

"_I already lost Sasuke-kun and Sai… I won't to let you take Naruto away from me too!"_

"_I've always believed in you, Naruto-kun… always…"_

Their tears…

"_I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you… all those years ago… But I'm here now… Sorry it took me… so long, Naruto… Minato-sensei…"_

"_The only person who gets to kill him is me! His blood is mine to take! I refuse to let you, or anyone else, hurt him!"_

Their blood…

Inside a small room, a twelve-year-old spiky haired blond can be seen sitting on his bed staring wide-eyed at his small smooth hands. Hands which – the last time he checked – had been bigger, rougher, filled with old scars and new wounds, and covered in his best friend's blood.

_The war, Madara, Konoha's destruction…_

The boy looked out the window and glanced at a mountain that had the carved faces of four of his village's leaders. He could feel panic, sadness and confusion welling up in his chest, just waiting to burst out any second from now.

_Don't tell me it was all just a…_

A single tear rolled down the boy's scarred cheek as he choked on a great lump in his throat and he thought of all the friends and allies he had lost.

…_dream._

XxX

Uchiha Sasuke, a dark haired boy with equally dark eyes, had woken up that morning with a sense of… what was it? Dread? Anticipation? Nervousness? He wasn't sure, but whatever it was, he doesn't like it. He felt like something important was about to happen and that he was going to be a big part of it.

He couldn't help but remember the dream he had had last night. He'd dreamed that he was standing in a field of ash and blood. There were people – most of them being shinobi if the hitai-ate that they all wore was any indication – fighting and dying all around him. He was standing next to a man wearing some kind of mask that only allowed his mismatched eyes to be seen.

The man was looming over two people – a boy and a girl – who seemed to be only a few years older than Sasuke was. The boy's bright blond hair and big blue tear-filled eyes reminded Sasuke too much of a certain blond classmate of his. The boy was holding on to the dark-haired girl who had been lying down in his lap.

While the boy was bleeding and wounded himself, the girl seemed to be in a much worse condition. Her long hair was caked in – what Sasuke assumed to be – her own blood and her eyes dull and lifeless. She had a small smile frozen on her lips and even with the gaping wound in her stomach, the girl looked happy and peaceful, like a huge burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.

This was where Sasuke's memory of the dream started to fade. He remembered that the mask-wearing man and the blond boy – without keeping his sad eyes off of the girl – had exchanged a few words with each other. Sasuke couldn't remember exactly what happened next. But what he did remember was jumping in between the strange man and the two teens just as the man was about to thrust some kind of jutsu towards the boy.

Sasuke remembered taking the hit for the blond and he remembered feeling the man's hand penetrate his back and slice cleanly through his torso. He remembered seeing the blonde's eyes widen in shock and confusion before he yelled out his name in desperation.

"_SASUKE_!"

The voice had been filled with such anguish and helplessness. He hated hearing such a familiar sound filled with so much pain.

The man behind him had said something to him and Sasuke had glared at him heatedly before saying something venomous and hateful back at his mask-covered face. The man then, swiftly pulled his hand out of his chest, causing Sasuke to grimace in pain before his senses started to fail him and everything began turning black. Sasuke remembered saying something to the blond – before everything disappeared and he woke up from his dream.

"Sorry…"

It took Sasuke a while before he realized that it had all been a dream and that he was not dying from a wound in his chest. But that was before he let out a panicked filled cry in his big apartment that he was sure had woken up a couple of his neighbors. And what made it worse was the name that he had yelled out in the morning light.

"Naruto!"

He had thought long and hard about the dream and what it could all possibly mean. What was all that fighting about? And those people… The blond was definitely Naruto – no doubt about that – but then, who were the other two?

Sasuke sighed. He had a very great urge to take a leaf out of one of his classmates' book and grumble, "Troublesome" under his breath. Right now, Sasuke was staring out the window of his classroom, waiting for his teacher to return with his wayward blond classmate and continue with the lesson.

His teacher had just finished taking their attendance that morning when the man had looked out the window. The man's skin had gone extremely pale, his eyes widened greatly, his mouth hung wide open in disbelief before he gave a very loud yelp. His students had been surprised by the unexpected noise and they all looked out the window in the general direction their teacher's eyes were directed at. If you thought that the teacher's reaction had been comical, then you could only imagine everyone else's reaction at seeing three of their once dull rock-colored Hokages look so colorful and bright in the morning sun.

It didn't take anyone too long to guess who the culprit was.

Their teacher had paused briefly to growl, "Naruto!" lowly before yelling at his class and ordering them to stay inside the classroom. He quickly jumped out the window and ran on the roof tops towards the colorful faces of their Hokages.

From their classroom window, Sasuke could see many black dots chasing a smaller orange dot around the village. This orange dot was non-other than the very person who had defaced three of their village leaders and is currently the only student who wasn't in his class at the moment. The village idiot, class clown and Sasuke's own 'rival', Uzumaki Naruto.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as the image of his ramen-obsessed, orange-loving blond classmate entered his thoughts. "That idiot."

In the row behind him, all the girls of his class, including a long-pink-haired girl blushed and swooned at how cool the black-haired boy in front of them sounded just now. _Sasuke-kun_, the pink-haired girl thought. _You're so cool!_

XxX

This is a dream. It has to be. If it was a genjutsu, then it would have all disappeared the moment he'd used, "Kai!" to dispel it that morning. And the only possible explanation left was: this is all just a dream!

Yes, it was possible that this was just some super strong, impossible-to-break Uchiha genjutsu that Madara was using on him, but he was really hoping that it wasn't.

Or this could also be what people call the 'reliving all your memories before you die' thing that he had heard so much about during the war and he was probably lying in a pool of his own blood somewhere in the ruins of the real Konoha, just waiting for the shinigami to swoop in and take his soul.

He hoped that it wasn't that either.

There was a third theory. One that he had not allowed himself to think of since he had woken up that morning in favor of squashing the high hopes that were building up in the back of his mind. High hopes that he was sure were going to get squashed as soon as the dream ended.

He had tried talking to Kurama about it, but the idea was quickly shot down the moment he entered his mindscape to find the giant nine-tailed demon fox sleeping like a log.

He had taken a quick shower, but not before checking his reflection in the cracked mirror that hung on his bathroom wall. Even knowing that he was twelve-years-old now, he was still thoroughly shocked to see the face of a young blond boy staring back at him. He'd been pleasantly surprised to note that the baby fat in his cheeks and the shape of his round eyes made him look more like his mother even with his father's bright and unique coloring.

He had opened his closet that morning and was almost disappointed to find his old orange and blue jumpsuit waiting for him in there. He had forgotten the fact that he hadn't gotten his black and orange jumpsuit until after his old one had been torn to shreds during his training with Ero-sennin. Though he greatly missed his old jumpsuit, he liked his black and orange one more. In the end he settled with wearing the blue and orange jumpsuit with the jacket unzipped – revealing the black shit he wore underneath – and his green goggles (He definitely missed those!) hung around his neck – letting his unruly spiky hair fall in a mess on top of his head and over his eyes.

He had checked the small calendar that he kept in his room and realized that he still attended the academy in this time and that he was late for class. Then he had studied the date more closely and remembered this being the day that he had creatively vandalized the Hokage Monument. After that, he had decided to just go with the flow and take out the few paint buckets he had remembered gathering a few nights before and proceeded to run to the Hokage Monument instead of using Hiraishin to get there like he had been used to doing lately, because of the simple fact that he didn't know what Hiraishin was at this age.

He had painted the faces of the famed Hokages with a face-splitting grin on his face. Oh how he had missed pulling such childish pranks! The war had never given him – or anyone – much time to just relax and goof off. But now, without the threat of an attack looming over his shoulder, he was more than happy to paint the Shodaime's lips a bright red color – if only to spite the man for not making sure that Madara stayed dead after their fight at the Valley of the End and leaving the job for him to finish.

After he was done with the first three heads, the boy hesitated when time came to give the Yondaime a paint job. This man was his father after all, and he had been his greatest idol for as long as the boy could remember. He had never felt any spite towards the man – even after knowing that he had sealed a grumpy old fox demon inside of his stomach. Though – begrudgingly – he silently admitted that he had been angry at the man after finding out that he was his father, but the feeling quickly disappeared after he gave the man a quick knuckle-sandwich to the gut – something that he still held pride in himself for.

In the end, he decided to leave his dad's big head alone and just wait for the two Chunin – who he later found out to be Kotetsu and Izumo – to come along and start the chase.

XxX

Iruka Umino had woken up that morning with a great sense of foreboding. Cold shivers had been running up and down his spine all day. Every time he saw anything orange or anyone with blond hair, he would get this unimaginable sense of unease.

_Something's not right_, he had thought as he made his way to the academy. He glanced at the Hokage Monument and let his eyes rest on the face of the Yondaime Hokage before continuing his thoughts. _I just can't figure out what._

When he entered his class, he couldn't help but notice the more peaceful atmosphere and the lack of orange bouncing off the walls. _Naruto's not here_. He let his eyes roam the classroom in search of his favorite blond student before coming to the conclusion of Naruto just skipping as always. _He's probably pulling some prank or raising hell somewhere in the village. I'll just go look for him later_, the scarred man decided.

While taking the class attendance, Iruka felt the worry for his ramen-loving student build up inside of him. Naruto had failed the exam three times already. And while he knew that Naruto was great and that the boy could do just about anything he put his mind to, he couldn't help but think that maybe…

Then, he looked out of the classroom window and nearly had a heart-attack.

All worry he previously felt for his student flew down the drain – anger, exasperation and annoyance quickly replacing them. His thoughts quickly turning from, '_What am I going to do? How can I help him?_' to, '_Naruto! You are so dead!_' in less than a heartbeat.

He had given a short order to the rest of his students to stay in class before he quickly jumped out of the window and over the rooftops towards the Hokage Monument.

He saw Naruto being chased by two of his fellow Chunin before the boy quickly lost them by hiding himself against a wooden fence.

"He he," Iruka heard him chuckle. "That was too easy, 'ttebayo!"

Iruka took in a deep breath before yelling out: "Oi, Naruto!"

Instead of jumping out of his skin like Iruka had expected him too, Naruto just stood there and blinked for a few seconds before turning around to face Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei…?" the boy asked with a small amount of uncertainty. Iruka took a moment to study his student a little closer.

Naruto had gone slightly pale when he heard Iruka called his name – though it was hard to tell with the dark tone of the boy's skin. The blond had said his sensei's name a little hesitantly like he wasn't sure what he was seeing was real. And his eyes…

Iruka noted that Naruto's eyes were darker that usual – they looked more haunted. Naruto was looking at Iruka like he was seeing the man through a dream. He looked like he was afraid to come any closer to Iruka, like the boy's eyes were seeing him yet his mind was seeing someone else, like he thought that Iruka would disappear any second now and leave him behind.

Iruka grew slightly worried at this. Naruto looked so sad and shocked. What happened to him?

"Naruto," Iruka started uncertainly, "are you al-?"

The question died in his throat when Naruto suddenly yelled: "Iruka-sensei!" and swiftly pounced on the shocked man.

"Eh?"

XxX

_It's really you!_ Naruto thought as his body shook with unshed tears. He had been so shocked to hear that voice call out him name – the first time he had heard his name being said in this strange dream. The boy had been so happy; he had almost forgotten that this was a dream in the first place. _It's really you! You're alive! Iruka-sensei…_

XxX

"_Iruka-sensei…is… He's… He can't be…!" The blond teen shook his head in denial as he kept muttering incoherent words under his breath. "No..no, no, no…Iruka-sensei can't be…No…"_

"_Sorry…Naruto…" Killer B said without his usual enthusiasm._

_It was one of the rare breaks they could get from the war. Madara and Kabuto had retreated momentarily and had gone off to god-knows-where. Everyone was using this pause in battle to its fullest. The shinobi were regrouping, recuperating, reloading their arsenal and regaining their strengths. The wounded were getting the necessary treatment. And the dead were being carried away from the battlefield and burned as they didn't want the chance of Kabuto getting his dirty hands on them and use Edo Tensei on their loved ones._

_About an hour before, B had been fighting a horde Zetsus with a few shinobi from Kumo and Konoha backing him up – with Iruka being a part of the small team. In the end, they had managed to destroy at least three quarters of the Zetsus before Madara called the retreat and as the smoke and dust from their battle cleared, B was sad to note that three of their comrades had died – one Kumo nin and two Konoha nin – and that one more was fatally wounded – Iruka._

_Iruka had lost a lot of blood from a wound he had obtained in the fight. B had ran back as fast as he could with the dying Iruka on his back while the others dealt with the dead bodies. He knew how much Iruka meant to Naruto. From what he heard this man had been the very first person who had seen Naruto for who he is and not for the demon inside of him. Being a Jinchuuriki himself, B knew of the pain of being hated and ignored and he knew that to a Jinchuuriki, to have someone acknowledge you for who you are, is the greatest gift they could ever ask for._

_He had only recently realized this, but – at some point – the brat had wormed his way into B's heart. Naruto was doing all he could to end this war and to keep his friends and family safe. The least B could do was help him protect a few of his precious people._

"_B-san," Iruka muttered through a shaky breath. "T-tell Naruto t-that… I…"_

"_B-bakayaro! Konoyaro!" B growled at the dying man, ignoring how his voice broke a little at the beginning. "If ya got somethin' to say to the brat, then ya should tell it to him ya-self!" You could tell how grave the situation was by B's lack of rap and rhyme._

_Iruka chuckled humorlessly. "I'm afraid… I won't b-be able… t-to do that." Then, as B turned his head to look at him, Iruka looked at the Jinchuuriki straight into the eyes and said in a cracked voice, "Please."_

_B abruptly stopped and set the man down carefully on the blood-soaked ground. "What do ya want me to say to him?"_

"_T-tell him… t-that I'm…"_

_Now, an hour later, Iruka's body had been burned along with the others. Naruto had returned to the base just in time to see it turn to ash. He didn't even get to say goodbye…_

"_He wanted me to tell ya that he was proud of ya, kid…" B said as he stared into Naruto's blue tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry… I wasn't-"_

"_No," Naruto said softly. "It's fine, Octopops. You did everything you could… Thanks."_

XxX

Naruto had been quiet and passive to the world around him for three whole days. It was only with the pain of Tsunade and Sakura's fists instantaneously slamming on top of Naruto's head that got the blond back on his feet. And just in time for Madara's next attack as well.

"Eh?"

Naruto was pulled out of the shadow of his past (or is it his future now?) by Iruka's voice. _Iruka-sensei's voice_, Naruto thought with unhidden glee. _I thought I'd never get to hear it ever again._

"Naruto?" Iruka said uncertainly as he pulled his student away to get a closer look at the boy's face. "Are you alright? Your eyes are getting red…"

Naruto shook his head, a grin threatening to split his face in half. "I'm fine, dattebayo!" he exclaimed loudly to Iruka as he rubbed the back of his head with a smile. He had suddenly remembered where and when he was. In this time, Iruka was still alive and Naruto was still the man's favorite knuckleheaded student. He wasn't a hero in this time, not yet anyway. Besides, there was nothing to get all teary-eyed about. This was all just a dream, right? Iruka-sensei was dead. Naruto had seen the body burn with his very eyes. This can't be real…

So, as before, the boy had decided to just 'go with the flow' and continue with the charade he had put up since this morning. "By the way," Naruto said to his teacher, "what are you doing here Iruka-sensei?"

At this, Iruka was reminded of what he had been doing up until that point and a scowl quickly latched itself onto his scared face. "The question is…" the teacher said in a low voice, causing Naruto to shiver and wonder how he could possibly have missed that dangerous voice. "What the hell are _you_ doing out of class, Naruto?"

"Eh he heh," Naruto chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head just as he did a few seconds ago. "W-well you see… Iruka-sensei…" at this the blond boy glanced at the work of art he had been working on this morning causing his teacher to do the same.

A vein visibly popped on Iruka's forehead.

Naruto gulped.

_I am so dead, 'ttebayo…_

XxX

"Listen, Naruto," Iruka said to his blond student after he had tied the boy up and somehow managed to drag him to class – albeit kicking and screaming as they went. "You've failed the last exam and the exam before that. You should be spending your time studying and practicing your ninjutsu and taijutsu instead of fooling around."

Naruto had stopped paying attention to Iruka the moment they had stepped into the classroom. He was too busy occupying himself with the dark memories of his past to listen to anything his sensei said. He had frozen like a statue when he had entered the classroom and seen all the younger faces of his – dead – comrades.

Nara Shikamaru…

Died protecting Yuuhi Kurenai who had somehow managed to sneak away from Konohagakure to fight in the war after leaving her child in the hands of Konohamaru and his team. His last words had been that he didn't want little Hiruzen – Kurenai and Asuma's son – to grow up without both of his parents.

Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and his dog, Akamaru…

They had died after taking out at least a hundred Zetsus in a two-plus-a-dog-against-two-hundred fight. They all had fought together until the bitter end. Naruto had watched from his own battle not far away as Shino destroyed fifteen Zetsus at once in a fit of rage after Kiba and Akamaru's fall before he too took his final breath – dying from extreme chakra exhaustion.

Akimichi Chouji…

He ran headfirst into battle, stricken with grief after hearing of his best friend's death. From what Naruto had heard, it had taken at least two dozen Zetsus to pin the large Akimichi down before Sasuke stepped in with the chidori that had swiftly ended Chouji's life.

Yamanaka Ino…

She had stepped in between Uchiha Madara himself and her so called 'rival' before anyone could even think of stopping her. Her last words to Sakura had been that this was the first – and last – time she'd admitted defeat to anyone, but she was glad that it was Sakura who she had lost to.

Haruno Sakura…

Died in a battle against Yakushi Kabuto – who had been aiming a poisoned kunai at her last surviving teammate – and had made sure to have taken the snake-freak to the next world with her.

Hyuuga Hinata…

She had stood between a stray jutsu and Naruto which turned out to be the last mistake she had ever made. Hinata's last wish had been to receive a kiss from her beloved Naruto-kun, something the blond had gladly granted for her. The girl had been so happy; she died with a small smile on her face.

And lastly...Uchiha Sasuke…

Naruto wasn't sure what to think of his best friend and rival. He had stepped in between Naruto and Madara and taken a chidori for the blond. Only to ruin the moment afterwards by stating heatedly to his immortal ancestor that no one else but him was allowed to kill Naruto. But then, he had smiled at Naruto and had said that he was sorry. But, for what? Was he sorry for leaving? Was he sorry for all the hurtful words he had said to Naruto? Had he saved the blond because of the simple fact that he really does care about his friend? Or was it something else entirely different?

By now, Iruka had finally taken notice of Naruto's lack of attention towards his teacher. The students could almost hear their teacher's patience break with a 'SNAP!'

_Fine, then. If that's how you're going to be like…_

Iruka pointed a finger towards the rest of his students and barked out, "Alright! We're going to have a review test on the Henge no Jutsu! Those who have already passed will have to line up as well!"

"_WHAT?_"

The students – including all of Naruto's future comrades who he had fought with and (in one case) against in the war – turned to direct a heated glare towards their blond classmate.

Naruto sighed in defeat. _Oh, you cannot be serious, 'ttebayo._

XxX

"Haruno Sakura, you're up next!" Iruka called from the front of the class facing his lined up students.

"Haruno Sakura going!" the pink haired girl said as she walked up in front of the class and positioned her finger into the necessary seal. "Henge!" and transformed herself into an exact copy of their teacher – scar, flak jacket and all.

"OK," Iruka said approvingly as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

"I did it!" Sakura giggled, hopping with glee. Her subconscious – also known as Inner Sakura – pumped a fist yelling, '_Shannaro!'_ The girl then turned towards her not-so-secret crush, Uchiha Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun! Did you see?"

"Alright, next," Iruka said quickly when he saw the glares the other girls of the class were directing towards Sakura. "Uchiha Sasuke!" he called out.

Said boy walked up to the front of the class and "Henge!" another Umino Iruka stood in his place. Most of the girls swooned at how great their 'amazingly talented Sasuke-kun' was.

"Good," Iruka commented as he wrote something else on his clipboard.

Naruto watched as Sasuke made his way back in line with the rest of the class. If this wasn't a dream and that it really was just some kind of genjutsu, then he would like to give a big round of applause to its weilder. The guy had gotten Sakura's younger, squeakier voice down perfectly and Sasuke's holier-than-thou smirk look so much like the real deal, it almost seemed creepy.

"This sucks," Naruto heard Shikamaru suddenly grumble from his left.

"This is all your fault, Naruto," Ino said spitefully to the blond boy from his right side.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said distractedly. "Whatever." He stepped in front of the class and got into position.

From the line of students, a girl known as Hyuuga Hinata, with short dark-blue hair pressed two of her fingers nervously together as she cheered Naruto on silently from the side lines. _Do your best, Naruto-kun._

Said boy had just found himself faced with a new dilemma. Naruto remembered what happened next. (Oh, he remembered perfectly.) But now, what was he going to do? Should he do what he did before? Or would it be better for him to show everyone just how awesome he was and do the perfect Henge?

"Hurry up, Usaratonkachi," Sasuke said from the side. "What's taking you so long? Is it really that hard for you to do a simple Henge?"

Most of the students snickered at this.

That did it. Naruto's mind was made up. _I'm a kid again, right? _Naruto thought with a sly grin. _So, I might as well act like it!_

"Henge!" _Oiroke no Jutsu: New Version!_

There was a puff of smoke and once that had cleared away, a curvy and busty long-haired blond girl wearing a revealing purple devil's outfit could be seen lying on the floor in an extremely seductive pose in front of Iruka and the rest of the class.

"So~" the girl purred at the teacher. "What do you think, I-ru-ka-sen-sei~?"

Iruka had nothing to say to that. He _couldn't_ say anything, for the man had already passed out from extreme blood loss through his nose.

Though, he wasn't the only one who was affected by Naruto's jutsu. Most of the boys in the class had turned redder than Sasuke's favorite fruit. (A/N: Yes, the tomato is a fruit.) Some could even be seen trying – more like failing – to hide their obvious nose-bleeds.

The girls on the other hand, looked more than ready to murder someone – a certain blond ramen-obsessed someone to be exact. Even Hinata looked appalled.

"Naruto!" one of the girls growled dangerously.

Said boy – who had turned back into his rightful gender and was currently laughing his ass off at his teacher's unfortunate predicament – abruptly stopped his laughter and immediately wiped the grin off his face. He gulped as he very slowly turned back to stare at the furious females behind him.

_Why me, 'ttebayo?_

XxX

"You're not going home until all the paint has come off, Naruto!" Iruka yelled down at his student from on top of the Shodaime's head as he watched the blond scrub the paint off of the surface of the rock.

"Yeah," Naruto grumbled, hiding a wince as pain from one of the bruises on his face that he had gotten from the girls was stretched from moving his mouth. (He had silently reminded himself to thank Kurama for granting him his super-human healing abilities.) In truth, he was glad to spend some quality time with his favorite academy teacher – even if most of that time is spent with Iruka scolding and yelling at him. "I don't care, 'ttebayo. No one's waiting for me at home anyway." In the previous time-line, those words had been said with unhidden contempt, disappointment and sadness, now Naruto said it like it was nothing more than a simple statement of fact.

This worried his teacher greatly. He was afraid that he might have upset the boy, so he thought of a way to cheer him up a bit. "Naruto," Iruka called to the blond.

"What is it, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked as he looked up at his teacher curiously.

"Well, I was thinking," Iruka said with faked non-nonchalance. "If you want to and somehow manage to clean that up before dinner, I'll promise to treat you to ramen later."

Naruto's face brightened immediately. "Alright! Ramen!" he yelled from the top of his lungs. Though, on the inside, the blond gave a disappointed sigh. _Too bad I can't use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and just make the clones do all the work. This sucks, 'ttebayo..._

XxX

At night, Naruto and his teacher could be found eating – or in Naruto's case, inhaling – ramen at their favorite ramen stall, Ichiraku's Ramen.

Naruto was trying his best to eat as slowly as he could and savor the magnificent taste of his salty meal. Though, he was doing a horrible job at restraining himself. But, Naruto couldn't help it! In his defense, he was very hungry from the manual labor he had been forced to do (It didn't matter that it was his own fault in the first place, 'ttebayo!) and he never had enough time to just sit down and eat his favorite food during the war. And ramen just taste _so good_ – the fact that it's free and Iruka-sensei's the one paying for it just makes it more delicious.

"Naruto..." Iruka said from next to him.

"Hmphf?" the blond muttered through a mouthful of noodles.

"Why did you paint the Hokage Monument?" Iruka asked his favorite student. "You _do _know who the Hokages are, don't you?"

"Of course I do, 'ttebayo," Naruto said as he finished his third helping of the night. "The Hokages, the Kage leaders of Konohagakure no Sato," the boy said, not noticing the melancholy look he suddenly gotten in his blue eyes. But, Iruka noticed and he was confused. What could Naruto possibly be thinking to get such an expression on his young face?

"The Shodaime Hokage," Naruto continued, "our village's first Hokage. His clan, together with the Uchiha Clan, had founded the village about a-hundred-or-so years ago. The second Hokage, the Nidaime Hokage, had been the First's younger brother. And Sandaime-jii-chan is Konoha's Third Hokage. And the Yondaime Hokage..." Naruto's voice had grown quiet and his eyes had been caught in the shadow of the bangs on his forehead, making the young boy seem older than he really was. _He's my father_, Naruto wanted to say. But, he refrained himself. Instead, the blond said: "He was a hero who'd died protecting the village exactly twelve years ago, right?"

Iruka blinked incredulously at his knuckle-headed blond student. "R-right." Well, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. Naruto had talked about becoming Hokage for as long as Iruka had known him. And, as Iruka had told Naruto during many of his classes where he had caught the boy sleeping in the middle of one of his lessons, a good leader has to know the history of his village and of its people.

Shaking off his shock, Iruka asked Naruto the question that had been bothering him since this morning. "Then, why did you-?" But he was abruptly stopped by his student – who, unknown to the man, had already heard the same question before.

"Because," Naruto said as he looked resolutely at his teacher, "I'm gonna be Hokage someday! I'll be the best damn Hokage anyone's ever seen, 'ttebayo!" At this Naruto jerked his thumb towards his chest for necessary – in his point of view – effect. "And once I'm Hokage, I'll do whatever it takes to protect this village and its people! Dattebayo!"

_And I'll make them proud, dattebayo! _Naruto added in his head as he thought of Sandaime-jii-chan, Tsunade-baa-chan, Ero-sennin, Kakashi-sensei... Tou-chan and Kaa-chan... _Once this stupid dream is over, I'll win this stupid war, become Hokage and make them all proud of me... _Then, he slowly added: _If I'm not dead already, of course..._

Iruka was greatly impressed. He had always thought that Naruto was aiming to become Hokage to get recognition from the villagers who had always despised him. But, it seems that his most unpredictable student had managed to surprise him yet again.

"So, Naruto, I'm curious," Iruka began another question, "why didn't you paint the Yondaime's head? Not that I'm complaining or anything," the man added quickly. "But, like I said, I'm just curious. Did you not have enough time to finish the job before those two Chunin started chasing after you?"

"No, that's not it," Naruto denied. "I had plenty of time, 'ttebayo."

"Then, why?"

"_That_, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he leaned closer to his scarred teacher, "is a secret, 'ttebayo!"

"Meany," Iruka snorted at the boy playfully.

"By the way, sensei," Naruto said a little hesitantly. "I have a little favor to ask you."

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Ano sa, ano sa, can I," the blond said as he held out his empty ramen bowl to the man, "have another bowl?"

XxX

"You fail!"

And Naruto didn't expect anything less. Though, he was still a little disappointed. _I'm a seventeen-year-old Genin and – arguably – one of the most powerful shinobi in history. It's been five years since my last exam and I still can do a stinking normal bunshin. This is so humiliating, 'ttebayo!_

"Iruka-sensei," a white-haired man sitting next to Iruka stated, "hand-seals were near-perfect and technically, he _did_ replicate. Maybe we can pass him..."

_Oh man_, Naruto grumbled in his mind. Thanks to the new power he had gained from Kurama after his training on Island Turtle with Octopops, Naruto could almost _see_ all of the hate and disgust Mizuki had for him rolling off of the man's shoulders. _That smile is so fake, I feel like I want to barf just by looking at it. How can I not have noticed that as a kid? Hmm... I guess all that time spent with that stupid Sai-teme and all of his fake smiles had its advantages._

"Mizuki-sensei," Iruka slowly protested. "Everyone else was able to create at least three bunshin. But Naruto only produced one that will merely be a nuisance in a real fight."

From the corner of his blue eyes, Naruto glanced at his flattened sick-looking bunshin. The boy grimaced. He couldn't help but silently agree with Iruka on that one.

"I'm afraid I cannot pass him," Iruka continued.

Naruto sighed in defeat.

Though, on the inside, the blond Uzumaki boy was doing a victory dance. _I can't wait to beat up that Mizuki-teme again, 'ttebayo!_

XxX

So far, everything was going just as it did before. Naruto had failed the exam – though he was still slightly annoyed about the failed bunshin – and Mizuki had approached him and told him about the Shodaime's Scroll of Seals. Everything was going almost the exact same way as it did the last time. And right now, Naruto was just lying down on his old bed, waiting for night to fall before going to the Hokage Tower to steal the scroll once more.

Naruto took this time to think about the predicament he had found himself in. This dream was taking quite a long time to end. Not that he was complaining – it couldn't hurt for him to have a small break in reality every once in a while – but he was anxious to wake up and rejoin the world of the living.

Naruto wanted to know how the war was going. Now that he had defeated and – _finally_ – killed Madara, had the war ended already? And what of his – living – friends and allies? Were they okay? Gaara and Octopops were still alive, right? And – hopefully – so was Tsunade-baa-chan.

He wondered how much time had actually passed while had been in this dream. A day? A month? A year? Or maybe none at all?

_Ah, whatever_. The boy finally decided that he wouldn't brood over the matter too much. (He was afraid that any amount of brooding – no matter how little – would be harmful towards his usually bright personality and possibly turn him into a certain revenge-obsessed Uchiha he knows all too well.)

No matter how much he hoped for it, there was absolutely no way for him to know of the outcome of the Fourth Great Shinobi World War short of being woken up from this realistic dream – which was impossible for him to do o his own. He had tried pinching himself, hitting his head against a wall, and just about everything else short of suicide – which he wasn't stupid enough to try out. It seemed as if he would need to wake up on his own or wait for somebody to wake himself up later. So, until then, the only thing left for him to do now, was wait.

XxX

_Drip… Drip… Drip…_

_That sound… _Naruto very slowly opened his eyes and looked down at himself. He noticed that he seemed taller than he was five minutes ago, so he can only conclude that he had gone back to his original age, height and size. He looked around and found himself in a large chamber with dirty water flooding its floors. The chamber was very familiar to the blond. He didn't even have to turn around to know that there was a giant fox demon imprisoned in the seal his father had created looming behind him.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the fox acknowledged the boy in that deep voice of his.

Said boy slowly turned around and rested his bright blue eyes on the fox's bloody red ones. "Kurama," he said back, slightly surprised. Was this the Kurama from the dream or was it his Kurama coming to wake him up?

XxX

Kurama looked closely at the boy in front of him. He remembered clearly, how only a few years ago, that very same boy had come to him – though quivering with fear – asking him to 'pay his rent' and handover some of his powerful chakra to him. He remembered seeing the boy's mulish stubbornness – so much like his mother before him – and his unbreakable will and determination shine brightly in his big blue eyes – it was the same expression his father had held in _his_ blue eyes the night that man had confronted him.

Now, look at him. It was almost funny how different this young man in front of him was from the small boy that he was not even a decade ago.

This was it. If Kurama had had any doubts before, they were completely gone now. This was the one that the old man had prophesized about. This young man was going to be the one who would lead him and his siblings down the right path. It was because of this human, Kurama had finally known what true power was.

And it is because of this very same human, Kurama knows that when his time came, he would stay by the boy's side and die with him without any regrets.

XxX

"It's good to see you again, 'ttebayo," Naruto greeted as he turned his body around and stepped closer to the fox's cage. "Did you come here to wake me up or something?"

"Wake you up?" the fox parroted with a lifted brow.

"You know," Naruto said as he waved a hand vaguely around him, "from this dream or genjutsu or whatever the hell it is."

"You think that this is all just a dream?" Kurama inquired.

"Or a genjutsu," Naruto repeated. "I mean, what else can it be? I may be an idiot, but I'm not _that_ stupid, 'ttebayo. Iruka-sensei, Sasuke and the others are dead. And I was seventeen, the last time I checked, not twelve."

"No, you have it all wrong," Kurama said as he stared straight into Naruto's eyes. "This is no illusion. All of this is real."

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered in surprise. Okay, now he was confused. What the hell is that stupid fox trying to say? That all of that was…

"Tell me, gaki," – Kurama ignored the indignant yelp from the boy – "what is the last thing you remember before this 'dream' started?"

"The last thing…" Naruto mumbled under his breath once he had gotten over the nickname Kurama gave him. His eyes suddenly widened. "I remember Sasuke dying," he said slowly in a soft voice. "Then, I remember fighting Madara. He managed to hit me with the chidori and I got him in the gut with a Rasenshuriken. And then… well, I don't remember exactly what had happened after that, 'ttebayo."

"I'll tell you what happened," the demon said. "You almost died. _That's_ what happened."

Naruto waited for the Kyuubi continue. He had a feeling that there was going to be more to the story than that.

"Unlike the Uchiha brat, Madara had managed land his chidori right on target. He completely destroyed your heart and most of your left lung as well. It was a miracle that I managed to keep you alive for as long as I did.

"While you were knocked out and bleeding to death, my siblings and I held a little meeting. While it is true that we did win the war, almost everything and everyone had been destroyed at that point – most of the surviving humans couldn't even see the point in living anymore. So, we had decided that it would be best if we did something about it."

"So?" Naruto asked slowly when Kurama had stopped talking for a certain amount of time. "What did you guys do?" the blond asked, though he knew the answer already.

"We decided," the fox said, "to clean up the mess that those damned Uchihas had made before it all even started. In other words," he paused for dramatic effect, "my siblings and I used the power of the Tailed-Beasts to turn back time."

"W-what?" Naruto yelped in disbelief. "H-how? That's _impossible_, 'ttebayo… r-right?"

"Having a powerful demon sealed inside of your stomach is also supposedly 'impossible'," Kurama reminded the boy. "And the same goes for mastering the Rasengan in a week as well as defeating that Rinnegan user, and yet you have managed to do all of those things and more. If a puny human like you could do the impossible and live to tell the tale, I don't see why powerful thousand-year-old demons such as my siblings and I cannot."

"So, it's true then," Naruto said, still in shock. "We really _did_ travel back in time. We really are in the past. Then, that means that everyone is… they're really…"

Even after spending the last two days thinking that all of it was a dream and denying that any of it was actually real, something somewhere at the back of Naruto's mind knew that all that the Kyuubi had said was true. He really was in the past and everyone…

_Everyone's alive…_ Naruto's thoughts had turned from shock, to confusion to unimaginable blinding happiness. _They're all alive, 'ttebayo! Sasuke, Sakura, Iruka-sensei, Ero-sennin, everyone… They're alive! Dattebayo!_

"No, we did not _travel_ back in time," the Kyuubi corrected.

"What?" Naruto asked his bijuu incredulously. "But you _just _said that y-"

"I said," the demon spoke, "that my sibling and I _turned_ back time. We did not travel."

And Naruto was confused…again. "Explain," the blond shinobi demanded.

"We used our power to turn back time," he said. "Right now, the things and the people that you see are not the past-selves of your fallen comrades, in fact they are the _exact_ same people. When we used our powers, we brought your friends back to life and made them younger. And since we wanted everything to be exactly the same as it was in the original timeline, we used our powers to erase their memories as well."

"So," Naruto interrupted before the fox demon could continue. "If they don't remember anything, then how come _I_ can?" Then, he quickly added, "Not that I'm complaining or anything, 'ttebayo."

Kurama – very much used to Naruto's antics – did not let himself get annoyed by the human's interruption. "You do _now_," he clarified. "While we did not have much chakra left after the war, my siblings and I still had more than enough to turn time almost twenty years back. We returned to the night of my attack on Konoha, to be exact. I returned with the intent of letting myself be sealed inside of you once more, therefore retuning your previous memories to you, but when Madara got a hold of me after extracted me from Kushina, his control over my mind made me forget about my mission and all of the things I had to go through to get there. It was only less than a year ago that I finally remembered my goal and proceeded with disrupting the effects of our powers on you and returning your previous memories to you, little by little."

"Ano sa, ano sa," Naruto said slowly. "So, does that mean that I can still use most of my powers like before, you know, seeing as all you guys did was make me young again and wipe out my memories?"

"Not quite," Kurama said. "As I mentioned earlier, we returned you and your friends to your younger bodies and as a result, all of your previous abilities and skills are back to as they were before as well."

Naruto looked greatly disappointed at this.

"Do not fret," The Kyuubi said, noticing Naruto's childish pout. "You could always recover them, because although your bodies have been reduced in age, they still hold the experience and power they once had before, so it should make relearning your previous skills easier for you. And the same goes for everyone else."

Naruto thought over this. Although it was – in Shikamaru's words – 'troublesome' to train really hard just to regain the powers he had had before, it sounded like a small price to pay if it could help him become stronger in order to protect his friends as he had failed to do once before. "So," he turned to his demon, "if I could get my memories back, does the same count for the others?"

"In time, they shall also have their memories returned to them, just as you had," said Kurama. "But time is something that we do not have much of. We will need as many allies helping us in this as possible. This is why my siblings and I had decided to leave it to you to return their memories to them and their Jinchuuriki."

"How?" Naruto asked. "And what exactly is 'this' thing that we're trying to do anyway, 'ttebayo?"

"We – well, mostly _you_," Kurama said, "are going to prevent the destruction of the shinobi world. And as much as I know you want to, this is something that you _cannot_ do alone, gaki. You will need your friends' help. And right now, the only way I can see that they would willingly help you, is if they were your friends as they once were before and the only way for that to happen is if they had their previous memories returned to them. The last thing that my siblings and I want is for the world that the old man had worked so hard to create to be faced with the destructive future it previously had." He didn't have to elaborate on who the 'old man' he was referring to was. Naruto knew perfectly well who the bijuu was talking about. "And as for the other humans' memories, as far as I can see, there are two ways for them to retrieve their previous memories. One, they can wait for their memories to return to them, which I estimate would take any of them _at least_ a few years to achieve, and even then they will only get glimpses of it in the form of visions, dreams or a sense of unease or - as you humans call it - dej avu as you had before."

At this, Naruto raised a questioning blond eyebrow at the demon.

Kurama sighed. "In this timeline, your consciousness does not know of my existence yet. So, every time I used my demonic chakra to return your memories to you, your chakra coils would automatically push it back before most of it could fully reach your subconscious. As a result, I only had enough power to return a few bits and pieces of your previous memories to you one at a time. Though you may not remember this, in the past months, you had been having dreams and visions of your past life. You would sometimes confuse your past and your future and do and say things that only your future-self would do and say, such as thinking that the Sandaime is already dead and that the Uchiha brat had already left your village. It had gotten you a couple of confused looks and a few whispers, but – thankfully – most had shrugged it off as one of your more complicated antics or pranks."

Naruto was about to ask more on the subject but the Kyuubi had continued with his previous explanation before a sound could even escape the blonde's mouth.u

"The second way the humans can have their memories returned to them is by having the ones who had erased their memories – in this case, it is either me or any one of my siblings – speed up the process for them, as I had done for you."

"But, even if you can somehow get yourself sealed inside of them and hack into their brains like you did to me, it would still take months for their memories to fully return." Naruto was stumped. How the hell were they going to do this? "And like you said, we don't have that kind of time, 'ttebayo!"

"There is no need for that," the Kyuubi said. "You can just channel my chakra to your skin and transfer it to your comrades to disrupt the jutsu we had used on them and since they aren't used to having demonic chakra such as mine flowing inside of them, their chakra coils won't reject my chakra like yours have. So, I estimate that it shall take them less than an hour for their memories to return."

"And what about the ones whose chakra coils _are_ used to having demonic chakra in them? Like the other Jinchuuriki, 'ttebayo. Won't their chakra try to reject yours like mine did?"

"They will, but I've already talked to my siblings about this and they had agreed to leave an opening for my chakra to flow through when we have inserted it in inside of their Jinchuuriki. It should drain quite a bit of my chakra, but I think that sacrificing a little bit of chakra should be for the best in the long run, don't you?"

"But I still don't get it!" Naruto yelled. God, this was so confusing! Time-travel, memory wipe, Madara _stillI _being alive! That's just too much to take in all at once. He needs more time. He needs to think on this. He needs to know… "Why me? Why not Octopops or Gaara? They were still alive then, I was already _dying_! Why was I chosen to do this instead of one of them?" the boy demanded.

The Kyuubi sighed. He had a feeling this would happen. They might as well get it over with sooner or later. "A few days after my siblings and I were created," Kurama said slowly, as he recalled his last moments with his only father figure. Naruto culd tell that whatever Kurama was saying to him was important, so calmed himself down enough to shut up and listen to what was being said – even if all he wanted to do was scream and yell at the demon and his brothers and sisters for cheating him of his death and the opportunity at eternal peace. "The old man told us straight to our faces that he was dying and that there wasn't a single damned thing we could do about it," the fox said bitterly.

"He told us that no matter what happens, the nine of us would always be together, even when we're separated. And that one day, we would all become one…" Here, Kurama's voice grew soft with melancholy. "He said that one day we would be one again with different names and different forms than the ones we posses right now. That we would all be led down the right path when the time comes for us to know what true power is."

Kurama's red eyes looked directly into Naruto crystal blue ones as he said with conviction, "We believe that the one the old man had talked about that day was you Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He had never heard Kurama talk about his creator before. And to hear such sadness in his voice, it was clear to anyone who was listening that the demon misses his first Jinchuuriki greatly. But still… "How do you know? How can you be so sure?" the blond asked uncertainly.

"We're not sure," the Kyuubi said with a shake of his head. "We just know… We believe… And, gaki, if there's one thing that I've learned from being stuck inside of your head for almost two decades, it's that the only way you can be sure of something is to believe that it is true. And my siblings and I believe in _you_."

Kurama's eyes turned soft as he saw the uncertainty still lingering on the boy face. "Gaki," he said kindly – which would have given the Uzumaki boy a heart-attack if he hadn't remembered how serious and sober the situation was. "If you're not going to do this for me or my brothers and sisters, then you can at least do it for your friends. Do it for your family and for your people. You promised yourself that you would always protect them and keep them safe, didn't you?"

Naruto slowly nodded.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"It's just like you said!" the boy snapped at the demon. "These are my friends! My family, 'ttebayo! The entire shinobi world is counting on me here! If it was just my ass on the line, then I wouldn't even think twice about doing something this reckless, but they…" Then, all of the boy's sadness, his anger, the stress that the many years as a shinobi had brought, all of the emotions the boy had tried to hide _finally _showed themselves and burst oout of him in a stream of tears. Naruto was sick and tired of people always looking up to him and counting on him to be the hero and save the day. Hadn't he done enough already? What more do they want from him? He doesn't… "I don't want to lose them again…" he sobbed.

"And you wont't" said the Kyuubi firmly. "You will protect them and keep the safe just as you promised!" the fox reassured. "And Uzumaki Naruto _never_ goes back on his word!"

Naruto's eyes widened. Damnit! The stupid fox was right. Once he gave his word to something, it would take all the forces of hell and more to make him break it.

He was Uzumaki Naruto, after all. He was the son of Konoha's Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. He was the – future – Orange Hokage of Konoha, 'ttebayo. He was the Great Toad Sage of the Sannin's apprentice. But most of all, he was the Number One Unpredictable, Hyperactive, Knuckleheaded Shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, Uzumaki Naruto! Dattebayo! He…!

Naruto paused as he realized where his thoughts were headed. His tears hadn't stopped flowing from his eyes and he still had his doubts, but… He looked at the giant red fox looming over him behind its prison and gave a small smile. If the stupid old fox thought that he could do it, then why _couldn't_ he?

Naruto gave a slight chuckle. It was weird. Back then, the demon would take any chance he was given to use his dark thoughts against him and try to take over his body. But, now it was _him_ who was reassuring and comforting him over something as silly as self-doubt. Naruto's light chuckles turned into barks of laughter. Oh god! What the hell was he thinking? He was Uzumaki Naruto! The amazing and the impossible was all he had ever done and would – apparently – continue doing! After all that he'd done, after all that he'd been through, to doubt himself now was just stupid, 'ttebayo – even for an idiot like _him_!

"Hey, gaki," Kurama growled at the blond when he saw the boy in front of him giggling like a fresh-out-of-the-academy kunoichi. "What's so funny? Did you finally lose your non-existent sanity or something?"

"No, no," Naruto chuckled as he swiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm fine, 'ttebayo," he reassured the skeptical demon. He looked at Kurama with the determined spark he had had in his eyes countless of times before.

_Ah_, Kurama thought with realization. _He's back_.

"Thanks, Kurama," Naruto said sincerely. "I really needed that."

"Whatever," the Kyuubi grumbled with false annoyance. "Just don't let it happen again. My siblings and I didn't turn back time just to waste it on giving you stupid pep-talks about things that you should already know about."

Naruto nodded, his infamous shit-eating grin threatening to split his face in half. He took a good look at the Kyuubi's tired face. It was obvious to him – someone who had spent years having the giant fox live inside of his head – that there was something troubling the great demon. "There's more." It wasn't a question, just a simple state of fact.

"Yes," Kurama said with a weary sigh. "As you know, to turn back time as we did, it means going against the natural order of things and breaking almost every sacred rule of the universe. What we had done had angered the gods, greatly. We almost failed, which would have resulted with the destruction of the world."

"But you didn't." Another statement of fact.

"No," the Kyuubi said. "Instead, we succeeded… but with a price…"

"Which is?" Naruto asked.

"A bargain… a deal made with the Shinigami."

"What did he ask from you guys?"

The demon hesitated, but – nonetheless – he answered the question. "In return of allowing us to carry on with our plan, as soon as we have succeeded in our quest to defeat Uchiha Madara and prevent the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Shinigami wished for the soul of Uzumaki Naruto as payment."

Kurama waited patiently for the outburst that he was so sure would inevitably come. But, it seemed that the young blond will surprise him once more.

"Ano sa, ano sa, in other words, as soon as Madara drops dead…so will I?" Naruto said slowly as he looked at Kurama for clarification. "And instead of going to the afterlife – or wherever the hell dead people go after they die – my soul will wind up in the hands of the Shinigami like my father's did?"

"M-more or less," Kurama said carefully, suspicious of how calmly the boy was taking the news of his inevitable death.

"Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, 'ttebayo," Naruto said with an accepting smile. "If giving up my soul means I get a chance at saving everyone, then I think that there's absolutely nothing to worry about." At this, the blonde's smile grew wider. "And besides, this way, I get to see my Tou-chan again and maybe spend the rest of eternity bonding with him inside of the Shinigami's stomach. The world knows that we never had enough of _that_!"

The great demon sighed. _This kid_, he thought as he looked at Naruto's cheerful expression._ He's unbelievable._

"Very well," Kurama said. "If you really are serious about this, then I would like you to know that you have the support of all of the great bijuu's behind you. And when the time comes, and the Shinigami arrives to collect your soul, just know that you would not be alone in that either, for I have every attention of following you to the bitter end."

"Ano sa, ano sa, what are you talking about, Kurama?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Kurama smirked. "Well, you didn't think that I'd actually let you face the Shinigami alone, did you, gaki? Whether you like it or not, I'm going to be there with you. Mostly because when the Yondaime sealed me inside of you, your father had every intention of leaving you as my last Jinchuuriki. Since the night of your birth, our two souls have been connected as one through the Shiki Fujin. So, in other words, if you die, then so will I." Here, Kurama smirk grew wider and deadlier. "Besides, I've got a bone to pick with that cursed Shinigami and I'd be damned if I'm not allowed the opportunity to give him a piece of my mind."

Naruto laughed nervously at the Killing Intent he could sense in the demon's eyes. He was just glad that it wasn't directed at him this time.

"Now," Kurama stated once he had finished planning his justified revenge on the God of Death. "We do not have much time. You would have to start now, if you ever want to regain your previous skills and abilities. And I would suggest you start with relearning the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu when you steal the Shodaime's Scroll of Seals tonight."

"Right." A pause. Realization set in. Realization turned into utter disbelief and horror. "Oh no! Mizuki! The Scroll! I completely forgot about it, 'ttebayo!"

Kurama sighed.

_Unbelievable_, the demon fox grumbled in his thoughts. _Why am I the one stuck with Jinchuuriki who are always dumber than the ones before them?_

XxX

"Naruto," Iruka growled dangerously as he loomed over his blond student who was currently lying on the ground with Scroll of Seals laid down next to him.

The boy sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a light chuckle – a habit that he could never grow out of, even when he was older. Naruto stood up and strapped the giant scroll onto his back when his teacher had backed up to give him the space needed. "Oh man," the blond said with disappointment. "I got caught already. I only managed to learn one technique, 'ttebayo."

It was then, that Iruka took in – with great surprise – the worn-out and exhausted state his student was in. _He practiced here_, the Chunin thought, _until he was all worn-out?_

The truth was that it only took Naruto half-an-hour to relearn the Kage Bunshin technique. He had then learned how to tap into Kyuubi Mode in his much younger body, which took him about an hour – give or take a few minutes. The rest of the time he had was spent learning how to concentrate Kurama's chakra into his finger-tips – under kurama's tutelage – and how to release it to his target for when he need to return his friends memories back to them.

Not that Iruka needed to know that, of course.

"Ano sa, ano sa," Naruto said excitedly. "I'm going to show you the awesome jutsu that I learned, and once you see what I can do, you're going to _have_ to let me graduate, right?"

Iruka just stared at the boy in disbelief. "Huh? Who told you _that_?"

"Mizuki-sensei, dattebayo!" Naruto said loud and clear to make sure that Iruka heard him properly. The boy then proceeded to turn around and gave his teacher a good look at the scroll he was carrying. "_He_ was the one who'd told me about this place and this scroll, 'ttebayo!"

Iruka's face had gone three shades paler in the space of one second. He couldn't believe it. _Mizuki did what…?_

Naruto's blue eyes widened when he sensed the malevolent presence behind his teacher. Then, his eyes narrowed dangerously. _He's here_. "Iruka-sensei, look out!"

Iruka gasped when his felt his – surprisingly strong – student push him until he was at least five feet away from where he was previously standing. From his position on the ground, Iruka saw the barrage of kunai being thrown at his student. Though most of them missed – since they were initially meant for a bigger target – a couple of them still managed to stab his student in his left thigh and right shoulder while a few more kept the boy trapped by imbedding themselves in his orange clothes and to the wooden wall of the shed he was leaning against. Thankfully, none of them had damaged the scroll strapped onto the boy's back.

He was horrified to see the blood flowing out of his student's wounds. The feeling intensified a hundred-fold when he saw his fellow academy teacher with a few large shuriken strapped to his back grinning with satisfaction on top of one of the many trees in the area.

"Mizuki!" Iruka yelled hatefully at the other Chunin.

"I'm surprised you managed to find the brat and got here before I did," the white-haired man said without keeping his hateful eyes off of the wounded twelve-year-old. "Naruto," the traitor called to the blond. "Hand over the scroll to me."

"Don't Naruto!" Iruka yelled at the boy. "You can't let Mizuki have the scroll! That's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden techniques! Mizuki used you so he could get a hold of it!"

Naruto – who had been busying himself with taking out the kunai from his clothes – just stared defiantly at his white-haired teacher. "I'll give the scroll to you," he gasped as he pulled out the kunai from his shoulder, "as soon as hell freeze over!" He gritted his teeth painfully as he quickly pulled out the kunai that had buried itself in his thigh. Damn! Even with his fast healing, the wounds still hurt like hell, dattebayo!

"Naruto," Mizuki said with a false smile. "Iruka is just afraid of you possessing that."

"Shut up, Mizuki!" Iruka growled at the other man. "Don't listen to him, Naruto!"

Mizuki chuckled darkly. "He's the one you shouldn't be listening to, Naruto. Iruka is lying to you. He always has been. They all have. But now, it is time for you to know the truth."

"Mizuki, don't!" Iruka yelled desperately.

"A rule was created after a certain _incident_ that happened about twelve years ago," Mizuki said as he looked at Naruto, not wanting to miss the look on the poor boy's face when the truth is finally revealed.

"Stop, Mizuki!" Iruka yelled in vain.

Ignoring the brown-haired man, Mizuki continued. "The rule is that no one is allowed to tell you that _you_, Uzumaki Naruto are the demon fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko who had attacked this village twelve years ago and killed most of the villagers including Iruka's parents."

"Shut up!" Iruka yelled as he closed his eyes shut. He couldn't bring himself to see the look on his favorite student's face at knowing the truth behind the villagers' biased hatred towards him.

"You've been deceived by the village people your whole life. Didn't you think it was weird for everyone to hate you so much? How they would shun you and despise you for just existing?" Mizuki laughed maniacally at the desperation in Iruka's face and the dark expression that had invaded Naruto's. "That's why you would never be accepted in this village! Even Iruka-!"

But Mizuki was never given the chance to finish his sentence. He was too surprised by the laughter that was bursting through the blond Jinchuuriki - who until this point had stayed silent. Even Iruka seemed shocked at this. "_That's_ it! Haha ha haha! That's the _big_ secret you were talking about!" the boy laughed gleefully.

Naruto's happy smile had left both Iruka and Mizuki flabbergasted.

_What the hell is wrong with this kid?_ Mizuki wondered.

"If that's such a _huge_ secret," Naruto chuckled with mirth, "then Konoha must be the _worst_ shinobi village _ever_, 'ttebayo! I mean, what kind of sorry excuse for a shinobi village can't even keep a secret like that from one of its _own_ villagers?" He wiped a small tear that had run down his face, as he silently hoped that his acting skills were enough to fool both Mizuki and Iruka-sensei. He found that plastering a smile on his face and laughing like a maniac was a more effective approach than acting shocked to hear something he had already known about. Thank goodness that his wounds had finally healed, or else all that laughing would have been _very_ painful. "The villagers haven't really been that subtle about the reason why they hate me, 'ttebayo," he said as he looked straight into Mizuki's eyes. "I may be an idiot, but I'm not deaf! You think I couldn't hear all the insults they threw at me? 'Kyuubi-brat,' 'Demon spawn,'" Naruto listed off. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what they meant, 'ttebayo!"

Then, Naruto looked at Iruka with a kind and forgiving smile. "And I don't care about any of it. I may be a demon and I may be a monster, but that doesn't change the fact that I am Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato!" Then, he narrowed his eyes and glared heatedly at Mizuki. "And _you_," he pointed a finger at the traitor, "are going down!"

"Talk while you can!" Mizuki growled once he had gotten over his shock. "I can finish off a kid like you in a flash!"

"Just try it, you bastard," the blond said with a smirk as he positioned his fingers in a cross-like seal. "Whatever you do, I'll give it back to you a thousand-fold!"

"Try it if you can!" Mizuki took out a giant shuriken from behind him and threw it at Naruto. "Take this, you demon!"

"Naruto, look out!" Iruka yelled as he got up to stop the giant shuriken that was racing towards his student.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" _Poof_.

"What the-?" Iruka gasped as orange suddenly assaulted his vision.

In a single second the entire clearing was suddenly filled with hundreds and hundreds of Narutos. The giant shuriken was stopped in mid-air by two clones as the original crossed his arms in front of his chest and a smug expression invaded his face.

_No way…_ Iruka thought in amazement. _He actually managed to perform a high-class, forbidden kinjutsu straight from the Scroll of Seals itself. And if what Naruto said was true, then he only had a few hours to learn and master it. This boy_, the man thought fondly, _he's amazing._

"What's the matter?" one of the clones taunted the panicking white-haired man.

"Come and get us, 'ttebayo!" another clone yelled from the trees.

"Give us your best shot!"

"What did you say about finishing 'a kid like me' off in a flash?"

"Dattebayo!"

Mizuki fell to the ground as he stared wide-eyed at the orange clad boys surrounding him.

"Well, if you're not coming to us…" one of the clones stated.

"…Then we'll just come to you, 'ttebayo!" another finished with a shout.

The clones charged.

Mizuki's unmanly screams could be heard all night by anyone within a five mile radius of the clearing – which unfortunately weren't that many people.

XxX

Naruto chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head with his right hand as he looked at Mizuki's battered, bruised and bloodied body lying on the dirt. "I might have overdone it a little, 'ttebayo." Then, he turned to his favorite academy teacher and gave him a once over to make sure that the man was safe and unscathed. "Are you hurt, Iruka-sensei?"

"Am I…?" Iruka said incredulously. _Naruto_ was the one who got stabbed with multiple kunai and was just told (not much of) a secret that could possibly change his life forever and the boy was asking if _he_ was hurt? _Like I said_, Iruka thought exasperatedly. _This boy is amazing._

Iruka chuckled before he burst out in loud laughter – shocking Naruto a little in the process – and sat down on the ground leaning against one of the many trees in the clearing. _He _is_ amazing. _Suddenly, Naruto's dream of surpassing all of the previous Hokage doesn't seem so impossible.

Iruka continued chuckling before he beckoned Naruto to come over to him. "Naruto," the teacher said. "Come over here for a second. There's something I want to give you."

Naruto – knowing exactly what it was Iruka-sensei wanted to give him – walked over to the man with a wide grin.

"Close your eyes," Iruka commanded.

Naruto followed his command gladly.

And then… "OW!" Naruto rubbed the bump on his head as he valiantly – and unsuccessfully – held back his tears of pain. "That hurt, 'ttebayo!" he yelled as he scowled at his teacher. "What the hell was that for, Iruka-sensei?"

"FOR BENG AN _IDIOT_! And for getting yourself hurt, you irresponsible brat!" Iruka yelled back, spit spraying from his mouth. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down – slightly. "Now close your eyes again."

"I don't think I want to, 'ttebayo," Naruto said as he continued rubbing the huge bump on his head and eyed Iruka warily.

"Naruto," Iruka growled in warning.

"Fine," the blond grumbled.

A couple of minutes later…

"Sensei, are you done yet?"

"Alright, open your eyes."

Naruto did just that. His blue eyes opened to the image of his scarred teacher smiling proudly with Naruo's green goggles held in his hand.

"Congratulations, Naruto," Iruka said, his smile never faltering. "You are now officially a real Konoha shinobi."

Naruto just stared at him in disbelief. Even after going through this exact same event once before, the seventeen-turned-twelve-year-old boy couldn't help the pride and happiness he could feel welling up inside of him just waiting to burst.

"Alright, now why don't we get ourselves cleaned up? Then, we can celebrate your graduation at... hmm… Ichiraku's perhaps?"

"I…Iru-k-ka…sen-" the boy sobbed as crystal tears ran down his scarred cheeks. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled as he tackled his teacher into the tree the man was leaning against.

Iruka just chuckled as he pat the boy's back and sat back as he let the boy hug him with all his might.

_I won't let you down this time, sensei_, Naruto vowed silently. _I'll wear this hitai-ate proudly and save everyone. That's a promise, 'ttebayo…_

_I won't lose you again…_

XxX

In another part of the village, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was using the Toumegane no Jutsu to watch the heart-felt scene through his crystal ball.

"Naruto…" he murmured as he gazed at his old friend's only son worriedly.

Unknown to said blond, the Sandaime had seen everything he had done in the clearing while Iruka and the other shinobi of the village had been worriedly searching for him. He had seen Naruto not only learn and master the Kage Bunshin technique, but the old man had seen him practicing with his Kyuubi Mode as well.

_What was that teachnique?_ Hiruzen asked himself as he racked his brain for any jutsu that he knew that covered its user in a shroud of chakra that resembled golden flames such as the one 'Naruto' had used before. _If that really_ is_ Naruto…_

XxX

A/N: I'll try to update as soon as I can – hopefully before the month ends – I promise! Until then, tell me what you think. Love it? Like it? Hate it? It bores you out? Tell me!

Recommended fic of the chapter: Just Fight Already! by Sarah1281 – one-shot, a Naruto Fanfic.


	2. Chapter 2 Who Are They?

A/N: I made a couple of changes in the first chapter. A thousand and one 'thank you's go to those who have reviewed, favorited and alerted my story. Mid-term holidays have just started; I'll try my best to update faster – no promises though. I might be a little slow in the update department, so please bear with me. And lastly, I don't have PM or anything, so I'm afraid I'll just have to answer your questions in the Author's Notes.

P.S.: I made a few changes in the first chapter. Just a few; nothing important. So, for those of you who have read it before, you guys don't need to read it again.

To kitty132383, EmiTenshi, RedRangerBelt, luckyschoolgirl, GunnerRyuu & PokemonKnight: Thank you very much! *bows to you in gratefulness*

To EmiTenshi: My book is just a short story about an orphaned kid and his uncle. I'm afraid that it will only be published and sold in my country, and I very much doubt that any of its copies could get anywhere outside of the South East.

*IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!* To RedRangerBelt: I'm very glad that you seem to be enjoying my story so far. I can't tell you much as that might spoil the whole story. But what I can tell you is that every character will mostly get a sense of déjà vu here and there – and that because of this, they might get a sense of what to expect from the other characters and that they (except for the really stupid and bastard-ish ones like Mizuki) might not fall for the same trick twice or follow the original timeline exactly – and that Sasuke won't be the only one who gets those kinds of dreams.

Warnings: Slight OOC, spoilers and possible grammatical errors. This chapter is a little rushed. Sorry.

Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it? And the impossible is all that Uzumaki Naruto has ever done and – most likely – _has_ done once more.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_. If I did, then Jiraiya would still be alive

XxX

**Rewind, Relive, Return**

CHAPTER 2 – _Who Are They? Future Allies or Potential Enemies?_

XxX

At this moment, we can find our favorite blond shinobi walking down the halls of Konoha's Ninja Academy towards its administrative section which would soon lead him to the Hokage's office.

He had been happily arguing with the doctors and nurses of Konoha's Hospital – something he hadn't been able to do much of in the past (future?) due of the simple fact that Sakura and Tsunade also consisted of its medical staff and an argument with them usually ended up making his stay at the hospital longer – and had been planning on walking around the village placing his Hiraishin seals on the landmarks of the village, when a Chunin pops into his hospital room and told him that he had been summoned by the Hokage to his office.

The boy wondered what he could possibly have done to gain a summons from the old man. He had been too busy being injured in a hospital bed to take his Ninja Registration Form picture the way that he used to in the original timeline, so it couldn't possibly be because of _that_. Maybe it was because of a prank he pulled but forgot about. Yeah, that's probably it, 'ttebayo.

Last night, as he was laid down on a white hospital bed, Iruka had done his best to explain Naruto's condition to the blond – who had listened intently even though he had already known all of it before. He told him that he wasn't a demon, just a normal human with a demon sealed inside of him. The scarred man also told his student that he was what people called a 'Jinchuuriki' and that there were more people like him out there. This surprised Naruto a little as he wasn't told this little bit of information before the Chunin Exams when he had met Gaara.

Speaking of the future Kazekage, Naruto briefly wondered what he was going to do with his red-haired friend and how he was going to return the memories of the Jinchuuriki back to their respectful owners.

But that was for another time. Right now though…

"Hey, old man!" Naruto yelled as he burst into the Sandaime's office without knocking – not that anyone really expected him to. "So, what's up, 'ttebayo? What did you call me for, huh?" the twelve-year-old aked as he bounced up and down in front of the Hokage's desk.

"_Naruto_," Sarutobi began, stressing on the boy's name as he looked darkly at the orange clad boy in front of him.

"Hmm?" Naruto asked as he finally stopped his bouncing. He could feel the suspicion and dark aura surrounding the formerly known God of Shinobi – and a few of the hidden ANBU members hidden in the shadows of the office – with the ability of sensing negative emotions he had gained from Kurama. "What is it, old man?"

"Enough of this charade," the aged shinobi snapped in a dangerously low voice. "I want you to tell me exactly who you are and what you have done to the _real_ Uzumaki Naruto this instant."

XxX

This morning, Sarutobi Hiruzen had expected to confront the impostor (Because what else could he be? There was absolutely no way Naruto could have learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and another one that Sarutobi had never heard about in such a short amount of time – no matter how great he had always thought the boy was and could be.) and get an explanation out of him of how and why he was impersonating their village's Jinchuuriki.

The Sandaime had expected the impostor to start a fight and try to escape once he had found out that his cover was blown. He had expected to join in the fight if the enemy seemed to be more formidable than he had first anticipated. He had expected for the man to be brought to Morino Ibiki kicking and screaming. He had expected to be told of the whereabouts of Uzumaki Naruto – the young boy he had come to view as his own grandson, Minato's only child and legacy – by the end of the day and hope against all odds that the blond was safe and unharmed.

What he had not expected was the blatant confusion on the impostor's face.

"Huh?" 'Naruto' said in comical disbelief. "What are you talking about, old man?"

"You cannot be Uzumaki Naruto," he said. "I had been watching you since you failed the exam yesterday. While I believe that the _real_ Uzumaki Naruto has the skill and talent it takes to learn and master the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, it is impossible for him – for anyone – to have mastered it completely in the single hour that you have – and do not even try to deny it. The way you used that jutsu was almost like you were relearning something which you have already known.

"And another thing, there is absolutely no way Naruto would have known about the Kyuubi before last night. I would have known if he did. So, the only other explanation is that you," he pointed to Naruto with a wrinkled finger, "are an impostor."

"But," Naruto said as he kept half of his attention to the glinting of kunai and swords which the hidden ANBU had drawn, "I _am_ Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo. I've even got the Kyuubi's chakra in me. You can check for yourself. There's no way any impostor – no matter how good – could have copied that."

"Then, you must be controlling his body somehow," the Sandaime said stubbornly.

There was absolutely no way the boy in front of him was the real Uzumaki Naruto. His eyes were too dark, too haunted to have belonged to the bright, cheerful boy he had always known. It was the eyes of a shinobi who had seen all the horrors this world had to offer and more. It was a look that Sarutobi never wanted to see in the eyes of Minato and Kushina's son. Those eyes just seemed so wrong. They didn't belong on Naruto's face – whose eyes were the same shape as his mother's and had the bright blue color of his father's.

"Aww c'mon, old man," Naruto groaned. "You can't seriously believe what that what you're saying is actually…"

The hard look in the old Hokage's eyes was enough of an answer for the boy.

Naruto sighed in defeat. What was he going to do?

_Tell him._

The sound of the Kyuubi's voice greatly startled Naruto, but he tried his best not to show it. _Kurama?_

_I told you already, didn't I, gaki? We need allies_, Kurama said. _And having the Sandaime on our side could be very beneficial for us._

_But, how? _Naruto asked. _He thinks I'm an impostor, 'ttebayo. How the hell am I supposed to convince him otherwise? And even if he does believe that I'm the real Naruto, how the hell am I going to explain to him that I'm from the future?_

_I don't know. Figure it out yourself. You're supposed to be good at making people believe in you, aren't you? _And with those 'helpful' words, Kurama severed his connection with his junchuuriki and left the poor blond to solve this problem on his own.

_Thanks for that, 'ttebayo_, Naruto thought sarcastically.

"Look," Naruto said to the old shinobi. "I really am Uzumaki Naruto, 'ttebayo. Believe it! (A/N: Sorry. I couldn't help myself.) But…" his voice faltered as he carefully chose the words he would use. "I'm just not the _Naruto_ that you know… umm… It's a long story and…"

"What does that mean? Explain," the Sandaime snapped.

"I will," Naruto nodded, "under one condition."

"Which is?" the Hokage inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"You're the only one who hears it," Naruto said as he looked at Sarutobi with a hardened gaze. "I want all of the ANBU out of here and for the all of the privacy seals you've got activated to its full."

Naruto could almost feel all of the ANBU in and out of the office stiffen. One of them – some guy in a bear mask – appeared next to the Hokage and looked at him at what was supposed to be a questioning look – not that anyone could know with the mask covering his face.

Sarutobi contemplated what the boy – someone who apparently wasn't Naruto and at the same time _was_ – had said. He was still wary and suspicious of the person in front of him. But if it meant the safety of one of his people – if it meant he could find out what had happened to Naruto – then, he'll risk it.

"Very well," he nodded slowly as he signaled for the ANBU to leave them.

The ANBU hesitated before he nodded slowly and Shushined out of the office along with several of the hidden ANBU.

"I said _all_ of them," Naruto said as he turned his head to where he sensed one of the remaining three hidden masked shinobi.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at him before he nodded and the ANBU disappeared.

The old man raised an arm with the hand positioned in a seal before swiftly bringing it down, therefore activating the hidden privacy seals in the office. "Done," said the Sandaime.

Naruto nodded in satisfaction. He could still feel the ANBU outside, but at least – now with the seals activated – they couldn't hear what he had to say. He knew that what Kurama said was true, things would be better if they had more allies working together this time, but if possible, Naruto wanted as little people to remember about their previous lives as possible. The war was something that he didn't want anyone to remember about. He wanted postpone their memories return for as long as possible, which meant that he would he would have to find some other way to prove of his claim of being from the future.

But… Naruto's blue eyes moved to the dark corner of the room on the Hokage's right. Does the old man know that he's there? Maybe. All Naruto said was that he wanted the ANBU out of the office, and that man _technically_ wasn't an ANBU, so…

Aww, forget about it. He'll just have to deal with him later, 'ttebayo.

"Alright… The truth is…" Naruto began. It would be better if he just said it straight out. He was never really good at beating around the bush anyway. Sakura and Ino had always said – in these exact quotes – that he was 'as blunt and tactless as a hammer'. "The truth is that I'm the _future_ Uzumaki Naruto."

"What?" asked the Hokage, clearly puzzled.

"I'm the Uzumaki Naruto who came from five years in the future," Naruto explained. "I'm a seventeen-year-old shinobi in a twelve-year-old body, I guess… umm… I'm not really good at explaining these sort of things… But, you see… All of this started when…"

And so began the extremely painfully long story of Uzumaki Naruto's life. At first, Naruto was hesitant and he had to pause every two sentences to find the right words, but as the story continued, he grew more confident and his voice came out louder and it barely wavered under Sarutobi's sharp gaze.

The blond began his story with the day Team 7 officially passed the Genin Exam and continued with their first A-class mission to Wave Country. He told the Sandaime – and the eavesdropping toad on the wall – of the disastrous Chunin Exams and Orochimaru's attack on the village. He told them of the Sandaime's death – he lifted his eyebrows a bit at that, but didn't say anything about it and continued listening –of the coming of the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade – again no comment – of Sasuke's departure, his training with Ero-sennin – here he could sense an enormous amount of annoyance coming from the dark corner of the office as the Sandaime's mouth twitched up in a slight smirk – his return to Konoha, Akatsuki's actions, the Jinchuurikis, the Ichibi's extraction and Gaara's revival, Sai and Yamato-taichou, Asuma, Itachi and Ero-sennin's deaths, Pein's attack on Konoha, his training at Myoubokuzan, the truth of Uchiha Madara, the Great Shinobi Alliance, his training with Octopops, the Fourth Great Shinobi World War and lastly, Naruto told them of the bijuus' plan and what they hope to accomplish from this – leaving out the part about the Shinigami, of course.

"…and that's how I got here," Naruto finished before taking in a deep gulp of air.

"That…" the Sandaime began, his gaze still sharply pinned to Naruto, "has to be either one of the most outrageous stories I have ever heard or the most insane and unbelievable lies in history."

"What?" Naruto screeched. "I'm telling you the truth, 'ttebayo! I mean, how else can you explain how I know all of that stuff about you and Ero-sennin and Tsunade-baa-chan? Heck, I even told you the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre and you still won't believe me?"

"That can all be explained by both Danzo being right and the village's security does need to be tightened, or your village is in possession of one of the most skilled spies in the entire Shinobi World. As for the rest, you could have just made it all up or had predicted it through some type of fortune seeing jutsu I have never heard of."

At this point, Naruto was more than ready to rip out every strand of spiky blond hair on his head – and possibly his eyebrows as well. "UGH!" he groaned in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me, dattebayo!"

"I am not," said Sarutobi. "Now, I want you to either tell me the truth – the _real_ truth and not some kind of elaborate story you have created – or I can call my ANBU back into my office and you can get yourself acquainted with our Head of Torture and Interrogation. Your pick."

Naruto groaned once more. Oh, he was very well 'acquainted' with Konoha's Head of T&I's, Morino Ibiki. And it was this very simple fact that made him shudder at meeting the man once more. He really hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with the insane man until the Chunin Exams.

"What can I do to make you believe me?" asked Naruto almost desperately – _almost_. "There's got to be something – _anything _ – that I can do or say that can convince you that I'm telling you the truth, 'ttebayo."

"I'm afraid that there is no-" the wizened Hokage began, before he was abruptly interrupted by the self-claimed time-traveler.

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly with a wide grin. "'Dattebayo'!"

"Excuse me?"

"My mother, Uzumaki Kushina, 'ttebayo!" said Naruto. "She has a habit of saying 'Dattebane' whenever she gets excited. It was from her that I got my own habit of saying 'Dattebayo' every five sentences.

"I told you about how I got control of the Kyuubi's chakra with her help, didn't I? Well, what I didn't tell you was that after I had gotten hold of his chakra, Kaa-chan had sat down with me and told me about the story of how she and Tou-chan had met. I know how to convince you that I'm telling the truth now, 'ttebayo!"

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"By telling you something that only you, my parents, a couple of Jounin, the Kyuubi and me have heard. Back then, I was too you to understand what my parents said, but Kaa-chan had repeated those exact same words to me when we met in my mindscape back then."

"So," the Sandaime leaned forward in interest at what Naruto had to say. "What _did_ Kushina say to you?"

"My parents' last words to me," Naruto said.

At those words, the Sandaime and the eavesdropper had stiffened and Naruto could practically feel their suspicion and depression crash into him in humongous waves.

Well, he'd already gone this far, there was absolutely no way he could stop now.

"She said…" the boy began slowly as a small smile appeared on his lips and a melancholy gaze took over his eyes. "Kaa-chan told me not to be picky with what I eat, to eat lots and grow strong… make sure that I take a bath everyday and keep myself warm… She also said that I couldn't stay up too late and that I need lots of sleep… She told me to make friends, but that I didn't need a lot – just a few. Ones that I could trust… Kaa-chan was never really good at it, but she wanted me to study and train hard… She told me that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so I shouldn't get too depressed or frustrated if I couldn't get something right the first time. She said that I should always respect my teachers and seniors too…"

The Sandaime had soon realized that Naruto had just stopped paying attention to his surroundings and was seemingly talking to himself now. Though, he now believed that what Naruto had said was true, Sarutobi didn't want to distract or upset the boy by interrupting him, so the old Hokage just let the blond continue.

"She also told me about the Three Shinobi Prohibitions. First, be careful with my money and save some of the cash that I earn. Second, no alcohol until I'm at least twenty and that I'm not allowed to drink too much of the stuff. And lastly, I shouldn't get myself hooked on bad women and that if possible, I should find someone who was more like her… Then, she warned me to be careful when I'm around Ero-sennin, 'ttebane…" Naruto gave a slight chuckle at that. He had always wondered what it would be like if he tried to talk like his mother had.

"Kaa-chan had said that I was going to face a lot of pain and hardships, but I should always be true to myself and stick to my dreams and… and that she wished that she could stay with me longer… and that she loves me…"

Tears had started to gather up at the corner of Naruto's blue eyes, but he shook his head and furiously rubbed the tears away before he continued.

"Then, my Tou-chan…" said the boy, his voice cracking a little. "He told me to listen… to my motor-mouth mother… Heh…

"After that, I promised her that I wouldn't just eat ramen anymore and actually eat those vegetables that Kakashi-sensei kept giving me instead of just stuffing them in the fridge before throwing them away… I liked taking baths, usually in the hot-springs with Yamato-taichou, Sai-teme or any of the others, so she didn't need to worry about that… And I sleep a _lot_ so that definitely won't be a problem…

"And as for friends… Well, I have a lot of really good ones…though, I have – _had_," Naruto amended, "one that I wasn't really getting along with back then. Now about school and studying, Kaa-chan was right to fear about that… Heh-he… But, I don't really get myself depressed over that, 'ttebayo… A lot had happened with my teachers and my seniors back then, but one of the reasons I decided to go with the bijuu's plan is so that I can help them and make sure that none of the bad stuff happens to them, 'ttebayo. Anyway, Ero-sennin had already taught me about the Three Shinobi Prohibitions years ago… and Kaa-chan was absolutely right about me having to be careful when I'm around him. But, even with all of his perverted flaws, Ero-sennin was still my teacher and he was the one who's taught me about how a shinobi should live and I'm really grateful to him for that, 'ttebayo."

Naruto looked at Sarutobi in the eye and said, "When you've finally met the one person you had always dreamed of meeting, then you'd do your best to remember every detail on their face and every word they'd said to you, 'ttebayo."

He pointed a thumb to his chest and said clearly and firmly, "I am Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure no Sato, dattebayo. My dream is to surpass all of the Hokages – past, present and future! I'll become a bigger badass than my father and a strong shinobi than my mother ever was! Believe it! I-!" Naruto was about to say more, but this time, Sandaime cut him off before he could even finish his next sentence.

"I very much do believe that," said Sarutobi with a slight smile.

"W-wha…?" Naruto said in shock. He had expected the old man to come up with some other ridiculous excuse as to how he knew what he did, not to actually stand down and admit that he had really been telling the truth. Naruto was slightly disappointed as he was looking forward to talking a bit more, despite the fact that he had probably talked the most he had in the past two days than he usually did in a week.

"I believe you," the old shinobi said firmly.

"Well," said the blond as he fought back the small pout that was fighting its way on his lips at how anti-climatic the Sandaime's words sounded. Naruto – though he knew how childish it was – was kinda expecting the old man to start crying at how unfortunate his life was or maybe even start bending on his knees begging for forgiveness because he didn't believe him before. (Well… maybe not much of the second one, but you get the picture.) "I guess… that's that then, 'ttebayo…"

"So," a voice spoke from the shadows. "The future, huh? That explains…" with a soft 'poof' a tall man with long and wild white hair wearing a sleeveless red cloak and a giant scroll on his back appeared in between Naruto and the Hokage in what he thought was – but obviously wasn't – a cool and dramatic pose. "…Everything!"

Silence…

Sandaime's reaction: an amused quirk of the lips.

Naruto's reaction: blink twice.

"Hey there, Ero-sennin," the blond said dully, showing as little emotion at the pervert's entrance as possible – only because Naruto knew that it would tick him off. "I was wondering when you would show yourself to us. I almost thought that you'd fallen asleep from the story or something, 'ttebayo."

And Naruto's prediction rang through.

The boy could sense the irritation and annoyance the old hermit had from the name and the lack of reaction from the blond. Naruto could see a small vein on Jiraiya's temple snap and the man's fist clench as he slowly held back his temper.

Jiraiya huffed – Naruto half-expected him to start throwing a tantrum or something, though he doubted the old pervert would want to do something so childish in front of his sensei. "As I was saying," Jiraiya said importantly like he _didn't_ pull off something so ridiculous just twenty-seconds ago. "You being from the future would explain a couple of weird things that I've been noticing recently."

"Such as…?" the Sandaime urged his tudent to elaborate.

"This!" The super pervert bit his thumb until he drew blood, did the appropriate handseals and pressed his hands to the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" And with a 'poof' two toads appeared along with the giant Toad Summoning Contract.

"Naruto-chan!" one of the toads cried with great relief and happiness.

"Jii-chan Sennin!" Naruto called out in surprise. "Shima-baa-chan!"

The two aforementioned toads quickly hopped away from Jiraiya before they tackled the blond boy to the ground with all their might.

"Naruto-chan! Thank goodness!" Shima sobbed. "You're alive! I can't believe this…"

"Baka!" Fukusaku yelled as he started to relentlessly attack Naruto with his staff. "Why didn't you summon us when you were fighting against Madara? We could have helped you! And why have you shrunk so much? You have some explaining to do, young man!"

Naruto – being the idiot that he was – just couldn't pass up the chance. "'_Young man_'? Jii-chan Sennin, you sound like an old- OW!"

"Tou-chan!" Shima yelped. "That's enough! We just got Naruto-chan back safe and you immediately attack him? What is wrong with you?"

"Oh don't look at me like that!" the Head yelled. "The kid deserves it for all the worry he put us through!"

"That may be true!" was Shima's replied yell. "But that is not reason to give the poor boy a concussion! He gets enough of those from Godaime-sama as it is!"

"I'll do whatever I damn well please, woman! Don't-!"

Naruto sighed as he made a wise decision – for once – to just sit back and watch from the sidelines, not wanting to interrupt one of the old couple's infamous bickers.

Jiraiya watched on with a fond smile before he turned to his old teacher. "I was doing some very important research in a small village a couple of dozen miles north of Konoha about two days ago," (ignoring Naruto's grumble of "He was probably peeping in the woman's bath in a hot spring somewhere, 'ttebayo," the Sage continued,) "when these two and a few more toads just popped in and started yelling nonsense at me. They said something about me being dead and not being able to contact 'Naruto-chan' before they started telling me that I needed to head back to Konoha immediately.

"On the way here they kept asking me how I was still alive and whether I remember what happened before I died. When they realized that I had absolutely no idea what the heck they were yammering on about, they started telling me these outrageous things like Tsunade-hime being the Hokage and that you and Orochimaru were dead and a whole bunch of other stuff. But what really surprised me… were all these ridiculous stories about my teenaged godson who – the last time I checked – was still twelve and barely out of the academy. They told me about things that I'm pretty sure haven't happened yet like me taking on Minato's kid as my apprentice and how I taught the kid the Rasengan and the Summoning Technique and a bunch of other stuff I'm pretty sure neither Minato nor Kushina would approve of."

The Sandaime raised an eyebrow at that, but soon chose not to comment as he was sure he wouldn't approve of whatever it was either.

"So, anyway," Jiraiya said with a cough. "I came here just like they asked so, here I am."

"Wait," Naruto said suddenly. "Did you say that they came to you _two days ago_?"

"Yeah," Jiraiya confirmed. "Sometime before lunch, I think."

"That's around the time I got my memories back, 'ttebayo," Naruto said. Turning to the still bickering toads, Naruto asked, "Jii-chan Sennin, Shima-baa-chan, what was the last thing you remember before you asked Ero-Sennin to come to Konoha?"

The couple paused in the middle of their yelling match as they gave Naruto's question some thought. It was Fukusaku who answered, soberly. "I remember feeling your presence die, Naruto-chan."

"Yes, so did I," Shima agreed. "Tou-chan, Gamabunta-chan and the other toads had gathered together to honor your death in Ojiji-sama's chamber when the next thing we know, Gamakichi-chan and Gamatatsu-chan have shrunk and we felt Jiraiya-chan's presence in your world."

"What about the things that happened the day before that?" Naruto asked. "Do you guys remember what you were doing before you got your original memories back?"

"A little…" Fukusaku said slowly. "But it's kinda vague."

"I guess we were all too excited knowing that you and Jiraiya-chan were still alive, we didn't really think about what we were doing before," said Shima.

"What about the other Summons?" Jiraiya asked. "Do they remember anything?"

"I don't think so," said Fukusaku.

"So, how come the toads are the only ones who got their memories back, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asked.

"They must have remembered around the same time you did, Naruto," said Jiraiya. "Maybe the Summoners have to regain their memories before their Summons do…"

"That might be it," Sarutobi – who had been keeping quiet for a while – said. "speaking of memories… Naruto, you said something about finding a way to return peoples' original memories to them?"

"That's right, 'ttebayo," the boy said from his position on the floor – he was too lazy to get back up after the toads tackle – as if he had just remembered something he had long forgotten. "Ano sa, ano sa, do you want me to…?"

"No, no," the old Hokage said quickly. "I was just asking. If it is fine with you, I believe it would be better for me if you didn't return my memories to me. I very much prefer having the mysteries of the future remain just that, a mystery."

"Same goes for me, kid," Jiraiya said, "I- Oof!" before he was promptly knocked out from a punch to his gut.

"I never said anything about _you_ having the luxury of a choice, dattebayo," the blond growled, his fist glowing with the golden chakra that usually encased him while he was in his Kyuubi Mode.

Sarutobi, Shima and Fukusaku just stared at the boy with wide disbelieving eyes.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was going through the pleasant experience of having his memories rush into his brain like an enraged bull.

XxX

"_If being smart means what you say it does, then I'd rather be a fool my entire life!"_

_Images flashing before his eyes…_

_The hot springs… Naruto, approaching him, demands that he train him… Can't help but think… 'So much like his mother… Wants to be Hokage… Looks exactly like Minato… Too painful…'_

_The Chunin Exams… sensei and Orochimaru, fighting… 'Sensei's gone…'_

_Naruto and Tsunade… Tsunade helping Orochimaru… Naruto mastering the Rasengan… 'Tsunade-hime as the Godaime Hokage… wouldn't believe it…'_

_Naruto fighting the Uchiha kid on the hospital roof… Kakashi finding him… tells him about the mission… lost a lot of blood… might not make it… Naruto on a hospital bed… 'I'm sorry, Minato… Kushina…'_

_Naruto's vow to save his friend… to never give up… 'Definitely Minato's kid…'_

_Training with Naruto… teaching him… giving the kid 'the talk'… watching him grow up and look more and more like his father… 'He could be the Child of Prophecy…'_

_Akatsuki… Orochimaru… 'Have to protect Naruto…'_

_Pein… Nagato and Konan… Yahiko… 'I'm sorry…'_

_Everything's gone…_

_More flashes…_

_Naruto…_

_Mastering Sage Mode… Konoha's destruction… the Kyuubi… Minato… Defeating Pein… Uchiha Madara… Sasuke… Killer B… Kushina… Kyuubi Mode… the Fourth Great Shinobi World War… Edo Tensei… Everyone dying… Last stand… Defeating Madara… Nothing…_

_The Past…? Kurama… the bijuu… Shinigami… one more chance… have to save them… protect them… last chance…_

XxX

"…you alright…? …feel… Ero-sennin…?"

Jiraiya opened his eyes and the first thing he thought when he saw the bright blond head of his student was, "Too bright…" He groaned.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"I said," Jiraiya amended, "I feel like my brain's been squashed by a thousand golden bricks just after I got barfed out of Gamabunta."

"Oh, that's good," Shima sighed in relief.

"Yeah," said Naruto. "Now I can do _this_ without feeling too bad about it."

"What?" Jiraiya choked out before he was given another bijuu chakra enhanced knuckle-sandwich to the gut.

"Not that I'd feel much either way, 'ttebayo."

Jiraiya quickly pushed himself up and furiously marched up to his godson. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

"For _dying, _dattebayo!" Naruto replied.

Jiraiya – and pretty much everyone else in the room – froze.

"For leaving me, Tsunade-baa-chan and everyone else!" Naruto continued. "And most importantly, for not telling me who my parents are!"

"L-look," Jiraiya began, "Naruto, y-you have to understand…"

"My own parents had to tell me who they were!" the boy kept going. "And they're _dead_, 'ttebayo!"

"Naruto, listen-!"

"Let's not forget the fact that you left me! You didn't even visit me! Not once! Seriously, what kind of a good for nothing godfather are you?"

"'_Good for nothing_'?" yelled Jiraiya in a horrified and scandalized manner. "Why you little-? I'll have you know that I visit you at the end of every month and every year on your birthday and on your parents'-!"

Naruto quickly cut him off. "Then please explain to me why the hell I've never even heard of you until the-!"

"Well, maybe it's because you never pay attention when-!"

The other occupants of the room just watched the shouting match between godfather and godson quietly from the side lines.

"Look at them," Shima said with and exasperated sigh. "They're fighting like children."

"It's a good thing _we_ don't bicker like that, right, Kaa-chan?" inquired Fukusaku.

"Yes," Shima immediately agreed. "We are much too mature to do something such as that."

Sarutobi wisely kept his mouth shut.

XxX

So, after Naruto and Jiraiya's little… umm… 'argument' – which abruptly ended when Naruto tackled his mentor to the ground while crying about how much he missed him after his death therefore bringing Jiraiya to tears as well – the three shinobi and two toads had settled themselves down in the Hokage's office and were currently discussing a very important matter.

"So," Jiraiya began and everyone quickly gave him their full attention. "There's something important we need to discuss and decide on as soon as possible." He looked at the faces of each and everyone in the room before landing on Naruto's blue eyes gaze. "Who's going to get their memories back and who stays in the dark?"

Everyone was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts, before Naruto spoke up. "The rest of the Jinchuurikis, obviously. I mean, the only reason the Akatsuki even managed to get their hands on us the last time was because we were all separated. They picked us off, one by one until there were only just enough of us to barely be considered a threat. We're going to need their help and work together if we don't want things to end up like before, 'ttebayo."

The others nodded in agreement. "Tsunade deifinitely needs to have her memories back," the Sandaime added his two cents. "The sooner she becomes Hokage and takes this stupid hat off of my head and paperwork off of my hands, the better."

Both Naruto and Jiraiya shivered frightfully as they thought of the foul mood and snappy temper the buxom blond had after having her precious sake taken away from her by Shizune as punishment for the lack of finished paperwork.

"What about your other friends, Naruto-chan?" Shima asked the blond.

Naruto got in his usual thinking pose – arms crossed, face scrunched up and eyes narrowed (Sasuke used to say that Naruto made it look like thinking was too painful for him.) – before he spoke. "Shikamaru, definitely, 'ttebayo," Naruto said with a nod. "He's really smart and he's also part of my graduating class and his team's gonna participate in the Chunin Exams with me and stuff. He'll be able to keep an eye out for me and have my back when one of you guys aren't around."

Jiraiya nodded. He knew the Nara kid – Shikaku's son. And the boy was definitely smart, no doubt about that – he remembered losing almost a hundred Ryou to the kid when he challenged the lazy ass genius to a Shogi match and pathetically lost.

"What about Kakashi?" the Sandaime asked his successor's son. "He's smart and if I remember correctly, you said that he will be your Jounin sensei, right? Won't he be a better choice if you need someone to help cover for you when questions are raised."

"Nah," Naruto said. "I think I've caused Kakashi-sensei enough trouble already, 'ttebayo. The guy died – _twice – _and for _me_. I think Kakashi-sensei deserves a break, don't you?"

The blond ignored his godfather's grumbling about Kakashi getting a break and him getting two punches in the gut – and from his own _godson_ no less!

"Very well," Sarutobi nodded in understanding, choosing to respect the blond's decision. "But, if anything were to happen and the only option you are left with is to return Kakashi's memories back to him, I trust you won't hesitate to do so or try to do something ridiculous… will you?"

Naruto shrugged. "No promises, 'ttebayo."

Sarutobi sighed.

Though, Jiraiya really wanted to ask Naruto what he was planning to do about Uchiha Sasuke, he decided that maybe it was better if he didn't say anything about the kid. He of all people should know how touchy his godson would get at the mention of his ex-teammate. He guessed he would just have to trust Naruto to make the right decision on this one.

"And the Gokages?" Fukusaku spoke up. "What are we going to do with them?"

The others looked to Naruto for the answer – because even if they all thought that it would be better to just return everyone's memories back to their respective persons, it would all come down to Naruto and his choice.

"The same goes for them, I guess," Naruto finally said after a short pause. "If I don't have to return their memories back to them, I won't. If I have no other choice and it means life or death, then… we'll see."

The others sighed.

"Why are you so hesitant to give everyone their memories back, Naruto-chan?" asked a curious Shima.

"Because I don't want them to, 'ttebayo," replied the boy. "I'm trying to _prevent_ the Fourth Shinobi War, remember? If I just go around tossing memories of a war that hasn't even happened yet, who _knows_ what'll happen?"

Jiraiya looked at Naruto with annoyance. "Then, how come you didn't even hesitate when you gave me _my_ memories back?"

"You died _before_ the war," was Naruto's quick reply.

"I gained all of your memories of after my death," Jiraiya shot back. "That includes the happenings of the war."

"You deserve it," Naruto said, "for not telling me about my parents." That wasn't _entirely_ true. The boy was just spiting the man for making him – the most awesome shinobi ever – cry like a heart-broken academy school-girl (and he's seen plenty of those from having to spend his academy years with Sasuke as his classmate) over a super pervert like him.

"But Kakashi-!"

"Hey, old man," Naruto called to the Sandaime – ignoring Jiraiya completely. "Do you know what time it is?"

The Sandaime checked the position of the sun from his office window before replying, "It's almost noon." He was slightly surprised at how much time they had spent talking, though he tried his best not to show it. "Why do you ask, Naruto?"

"Okay then," the blond said as he got up from the chair he was sitting in. "You can undo the seals now and call your ANBU back if you want." He started walking away before his eyes widened and he remembered something he had almost forgotten from all the excitement of that morning. "Oh, hold on a sec, 'ttebayo," Naruto called back. The boy stuffed his hands into his pockets before he brought out a few slightly crumpled pieces of paper and handed two of them to the Sandaime and another one to Jiraiya. "Here. Just pour some chakra into one of those and stick it to your skin. The seals will be absorbed into your body, but don't worry, they won't mess with your chakra or leave any kind of mark on your body or anything. And if you ever need me, all you have to do is visualize me and I'll come to you in a flash – literally."

Sarutobi inspected the seals given to him before he gasped in amazement. "These are…"

"Hiraishin seals," Jiraiya said fondly. Turning to Naruto, the white-haired pervert said, "So, you've managed to figure out how the technique works, did you?"

"Yup." The boy grinned. "Thanks again for leaving me my Pa's old kunai, Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya snorted. "I'm just glad that they weren't wasted on an idiotic brat like you like I'd been afraid of. (He ignored Naruto's indignant "Hey!") You even managed to improve the seals and made them permanent."

Naruto's sheepishly rubbed the back of his head at the unhidden pride in his mentor's voice.

"Naruto," the Sandaime called for his attention once one of the seals given to him had been absorbed into his body. "May I ask, what the extra seal you gave me is for."

"It's for you to keep in your office," the boy explained. "Just let it absorb into your desk the same way you absorbed it into your skin. I just wanted to leave a seal here just in case, y'know. Better safe than sorry, 'ttebayo."

Sarutobi nodded at the explanation as he let the seal absorb itself under his desk. Jiraiya was done with the seal that had been given to him and was now working on deactivating the privacy seals in the office. Shima and Fukusaku chose that moment to return to Myoubokuzan to tell the other toads of their discovery.

The Sandaimed did some type of signal and it wasn't long before Naruto sensed the ANBU reappear in the office.

Naruto nodded in satisfaction before he cleared his throat loudly. "And now," he said dramatically as he swayed his way over to the door. "Watch in amazement as I, the ever awesome Uzumaki Naruto, make an eight-year-old brat appear out of thin air!"

Sarutobi and Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at this.

Naruto opened the door and in stumbled the aforementioned eight-year-old brat – also known as – Sarutobi Konohamaru, the Sandaime's grandson.

"Jiji!" yelled the small boy in his high-pitched voice as he showed them the shuriken he had in his hand. "Fight me, kore!"

"Tada," Naruto said with a grin as he indicated his right hand towards Konohamaru.

_Is that…_ Jiraiya thought as his mind took some time to process the image of the small person standing infront of him, _the Konohamaru kid that always seems to follow Naruto around? Sensei's grandkid?_

The boy charged. "The title of the Godaime Hokage is mi- ACK!"

He tripped on his ridiculously long blue scarf and fell on his face.

The others just stared.

Konohamaru covered his face as he laid on the wooden floor hissing in pain. "Ouch…"

Ebisu – who had made his appearance not a second ago – gasped in shock at seeing his young master convulsing on the floor.

"Is this some kind of trap, kore?" the smallest in the room demanded as he rubbed at his bruising face. His gaze eyed the people in the room suspiciously. _The all look strong_, he thought before he landed his eyes on the blond boy standing by the door. _And that guy seems extra powerful_.

Ebisu looked at the two powerful figures in the room before his eyes moved towards his young master – he paid no mind to Naruto – and back again. "Are you alright, young master?" the 'elite' shinobi asked in concern. "And by the way, there are no traps," he said as he adjusted his round sunglasses.

Konohamaru looked from Ebisu to the blond kid. Ebisu – who had just notice Naruto's presence – gasped in shock. It was the Kyuubi-brat!

Naruto's mind meanwhile had started traveling a few years into the future and thought fondly of the boy he had once thought of his apprentice. _Now that I think about it_, the blond mused_. It's been a while since I last saw the Konohamaru Corps. I guess I just never had much of a chance with the war going on and all._

"I got it," Konohamaru said as he marched up to Naruto and shoved an accusing finger in the older boy's face. "You did something, didn't you, kore?'

Naruto smirked and quickly wiped it away before the others could see. _And the fun begins…_

Naruto grabbed the boy's shirt and started yelling just as he did in the original timeline.

XxX

The next morning, the Fourth Hokage's son could be seen studying his face in the mirror hung on his bathroom wall. He tugged at a lock on his hair and couldn't help but miss the slightly longer threads of sunshine blond he had fashioned as a teen. Naruto lifted his black shirt and stared at the revealed smooth tan skin that still had the few traces of baby-fat he knew he won't get rid of until he was at least fifteen. He'd have to do some serious hard work if he wanted any hopes of getting his old speed and strength back.

Naruto sighed. It's been days since this whole time-reverse and memory thing started. So much has happened…

Yesterday, Naruto had decided to try to keep things as close to the original timeline as possible and only changed the really important things like the Sandaime's death and Sasuke's departure. Hehad spent the entire day teaching Konohamaru his Oiroke no Jutsu and had given the boy his speech on not using short-cuts to become Hokage and how he needed to work really hard if he wanted people to acknowledge him. Konohamaru had left – dragging a knocked out Ebisu – announcing that from that day on, he and Naruto were rivals and that he was going to become Hokage _way_ before Naruto would. Naruto couldn't help but give a hollow smile at how right Konohamaru had been when he had said that.

If Naruo was really going to save everyone and beat Madara, he was going to have to give up on his hopes of becoming Hokage, seeing that his soul would have already belonged to the Shinigami long before that happened. But, then again, maybe he could become Hokage _before_ he defeated Madara or…

He dropped his shirt back over his stomach as he mulled over his thoughts and walked out of the bathroom and into his kitchen where his newly bought orange-and-black jacket – Ero-sennin had transported via toad to the shop where he had bought the original one yesterday afternoon – was hung over one of the chairs at the small dining table. He put it on, but left it unzipped, just as he had been doing these past few days. He then, tied on his modified hitai-ate – he had taken the metal piece off and attached it to a longer strip of black cloth, much like his old one – and checked himself in the mirror once more.

_Hmm…_ the boy mused as he adjusted the hitai-ate on his forehead. _It's not too bad, I guess._

Naruto grinned. Now if the jacket wereas big as his old one and he had his Kyuubi Mode on – chakra shroud and all – then he'd look almost exactly like he did while in battle during the Fourth War.

The blond put on his – also newly bought – black sandals and before taking his first step out of his apartment and towards Konoha's Ninja Academy, Naruto took a deep breath and readied himself as if he were about to take part in an epic battle. It had been easier for him to see his friends yesterday because they all still looked like children and he could view them as such, but now… they would all have their hitai-ate on and Naruto was afraid that the familiar faces of his comrades would make his confidence crumble and fail him.

He was afraid that they would remind him of all of his past failures and the pressure might be too much for him to take therefore causing him to fail once more.

_No!_ The blond shook his head furiously. _I won't fail!_ He twisted the door knob and opened it.

_Not this time!_

XxX

Shikamaru had entered the class that day feeling lazier than ever. He had been forced out of bed and had to drag his feet to the Academy – by threat of castration courtesy of his scary mother.

The lazy genius shuddered as he thought of how much scarier the woman had been that morning. She kept yelling things like how now that he was a shinobi he needed to have a better sense of responsibility – she said many more things, but Shikamaru had already tuned out her ranting by then.

He sighed as he opened the door of the class that was filled with his classmates and the freshly graduated Genin of the year. _Women are so troublesome_, he thought.

When he entered the class, the first the first thing the Nara boy notices is the head of spiky bright blond hair that was seated next to the so called Rookie of the Year.

As Shikamaru studied the other boy, he couldn't help but notice the determined and serious look the blue-eyed-boy had on his face. It was a great contrast to the large grins he'd fashioned for as long as the Nara boy had known him. He also noted the strange way the blond looked at the other Genin in their class. Something a kin to disbelief, happiness, regret and a whole bunch of other emotions flitted together in the blond's bright blue eyes. He also observed how his friend's eyes refused to turn around and look at the black-haired Uchiha sitting next to him.

The genius walked up to the blond to confirm that what he was seeing was real and that he wasn't still dreaming on his bed – his mom would be so mad knowing that he still hadn't woken up yet. "Naruto?" called Shikamaru.

Said blond turned his head around to look at his friend before he grinned at him in the only way Uzumaki Naruto could. "Hey there, Shika!" the loud boy greeted. Shikamaru took in how different the blond looked with his jacket unzipped and that he was wearing the same look last week during the day of the Genin Exam as well.

"Why are you here?" Shikamaru asked, not bothering to beat around the bush and try to sound polite just because it would be too troublesome. "Today's meeting is only for those who graduated."

The Jinchuuriki's grin just grew wider. "Hey, are you blind or something? Can't you see this?" he asked as he jereked his thumb towards his black hitai-ate. "You're looking at a full-fledged Konoha shinobi, 'ttebayo!"

Shikamaru raised a brow curiously, but didn't question his friend and partner-in-ditching. He absently noted how the black hitai-ate suited the blond more than the blue ones the others were wearing.

And while Naruto was rambling about some random subject or other, a short-haired girl at the back of their class looked on at the blond with a deep blush adorning her face. She fidgeted and pressed the tips of her fingers together nervously. She was really glad that Naruto was able to graduate

The girl was too busy telling herself not to pass out; she didn't notice the person of her affections glancing at her blushing face from the corner of his eyes and smile at how much cuter she looked with shorter hair.

"Ano sa, ano sao, Shika?" Naruto called to the other boy – who he noted with fond annoyance had tuned him out in favor of looking out the window at the clouds that were floating in the sky.

Shikamaru grunted to indicate that he was listening to him.

"Do you mind spending lunch with me today?" asked the Uzumaki in an unusually somber expression. "There's something _really_ important I need to talk to you about, 'ttebayo. If you'd like, we could eat on the roof and I could talk while you watch the clouds like you seem to like doing so much."

Shikamaru just shrugged lazily. "Whatever," he mumbled before he walked to an empty seat at the back of the class. If he hadn't been the genius that he was, he would have missed the quiet sigh of relief his friend heaved at his answer. Something big was about to happen, Shikamaru could tell. _And something tells me that Naruto's going to be right in the middle of it._

_How troublesome…_

XxX

"I win!" yelled two girls – one blonde and one with pink-hair – the moment they stepped into class.

They both took in deep breaths of exhaustion before the blonde – Ino – spoke up. "Looks like I win again, huh Sakura?"

"What are you talking about, Ino-pig?" fumed the pink-haired girl known as Sakura. "My toe entered the class before yours by a centimeter."

"Are you blind?" yelled Ino. And as the blonde started raving about how _she_ entered the class before Sakura could even get close to the Academy, Sakura's eyes darted around the class until they finally landed on the one person she wanted to see the most.

_Sasuke-kun!_ the pink-haired kunoichi squealed in her head.

She didn't notice how the blond sitting next to her 'one true love' watched the hearts in her eyes with melancholy and fond blue eyes. The boy just couldn't help but smile at how different his (future) teammate was compared to the love-struck fangirl he saw now.

As Sakura marched up to her beloved Sasuke like a raging rhino determined to get its hands on its newly chosen mate – ignoring Ino's called of "Hey, Sakura!" – the boy sitting next to the Rookie of the Year hurriedly jumped over his seat and into the empty one in front of him. He had learned his lesson of not angering Sasuke-loving female kunoichi from his original timeline and he refused to make the same mistake twice.

"G-good morning, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura sweetly to the brooding dark-haired Uchiha – who didn't dignify the girl's greeting with a reply, but still gave her a quick glance from the corner of his black-eyes. "Can I…" Sakura blushed, "sit next to you?"

"Hey!" Ino yelled as she marched up furiously to her love-rival. "I'm going to sit next to him!"

"First come, first serve!" Sakura shot back.

"I came into the classroom before you did!" argued Ino.

"No, I did!" yelled Sakura.

"If that's the case," said another girl as she walked up to the arguing ex-best friends, "then, I should be the one who gets to sit next to Sasuke-kun! I came in here _way_ before either of you did!"

"No, I was first!" yelled another.

"I'm going to sit next to Sasuke-kun!"

"No, I am!"

Naruto just watched the arguing kunoichi with much amusement – which only doubled as he thought of how the future Sasuke would react to all of this.

_How annoying_, thought the twelve-year-old Uchiha in frustration.

XxX

A few feet away from the rambunctious class of newly graduated Genin, a group of Jounin – plus the Hokage – were watching the commotion from the Hokage's office through a crystal ball with the use of the Toumegane no Jutsu.

"So, that's him?" asked one of the Jounin as the crystal ball showed them the face of the last Uchiha. "This year's number one rookie, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes," affirmed the Sandaime from his seat behind his desk. "It's him."

"The survivor of the Uchiha Clan Massacre," said another Jounin – Yuuhi Kurenai.

Sarutobi 'Hmm'ed a confirmation.

The wizened shinobi studied the people in his room. According to Naruto, the ones who were going to pass their teams were hi son, Sarutobi Asuma – he tried not to think of the death his son was going to face – Yuuhi Kurenai, his future daughter-in-law and lastly, Naruto's Jounin sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

Even if Naruto hadn't told him of the team placings, Sarutobi had always planned of making Naruto and Sauske as one of Kakashi's students. The Uchiha boy, because of the fact that Kakashi was probably the only one who could teach him how to master the Sharingan, and Naruto because he believed that Kakashi had made himself suffer enough and that it was about time he forgave himself and let go of his past by facing and taking care of his sensei's sone just as he had promised many years before.

Sarutobi glanced at the masked white-haired shinobi and saw the man watching the amused Naruto through the crystal ball.

_Uzumaki Naruto, huh?_ mused Kakashi as he silently noted how much the boy looked like his parents. _Minato-sensei… Kushina-nee-san…_

XxX

Said boy meanwhile was covering his head in his arms and blatantly refusing to get off of his seat. It was obvious to anyone who was watching that if he could, the boy would even glue himself to the chair he was sitting on.

_I will not get off of this chair! I will not get off of this chair!_ the boy repeated in his mind like a mantra. _I will not jump on Sasuke's desk to glare at him! And I will not…!_ Naruto's face flamed up in embarrassment and humiliation as he thought of what had happened in the original timeline. He furiously shook his head as if denying the event ever occurring. _No! That won't happen! I won't let it!_

The blond glanced at the girl's behind him and realized how close he was to them and that he could easily get himself caught in the crossfire of their fight. He decided that maybe it would be better if he chose a seat as far away from the girls and Sasuke as possible.

He stood up and started walking up the isle that wasn't packed with fuming fangirls – which as he didn't notice was the one that was right next to Sasuke's seat – and towards the back of the class where he Hinata, Shino and Shikamaru were seated.

And just as the blond was about to reach safety, a boy had hurriedly gotten up from his own seat to go to the bathroom and had knocked Naruto over in his haste. Naruto – who hadn't been expecting the sudden assault – had been knocked over and had fallen on his back on top of Sasuke's desk.

Naruto blinked up towards the ceiling.

Sasuke blinked at the shocked blond on his desk.

The girls' blinked at the two boys before they started yelling.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled furiously from the crowd. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Get away from Sasuke-kun, you idiot!"

"Stop staring at Sasuke-kun!"

"Well, don't just lie down there! Get off of Sasuke-kun's desk!"

Naruto sighed. He decided that though this was an unexpected turn of events, he very much like this one better than the original.

And just as the blond had sat up on his rival's desk – presumably to hop off and continue on his way to the back of the class – one of the girl's had used the commotion a chance to distract the other girls and sit next to Sasuke-kun. Only she didn't count on the fact of getting caught by Ino, who had immediately pushed the girl in fury. The girl had then proceeded to stumble forward and hit the back of Sasuke's seat.

Sasuke – who just like Naruto had not expected the sudden push – had to push his hands on his desk – on either side of Naruto's orange clad body – to stop himself from stumbling onto the blond.

But – unfortunately – he wasn't quick enough to stop his face from bumping into Naruto's.

And he was too late in preventing his lips from crashing into the blond's.

"Eh…?" Sakura muttered.

"Wait a sec…" Ino mumbled.

The entire class was silent as they slowly processed the scene in front of them.

Sasuke had his hands slammed on both sides of the blond sitting on his desk with his lips connected to… Naruto's who was sitting on top of the raven-haired teen's desk… kissing him…

They were kissing…

Sasuke and Naruto were kissing…!

Naruto was kissing Sasuke-kun!

Once the two boys had finally realized what they were doing and the intimate position they were in while doing it, they quickly separated themselves from the other with a gasp.

Sakura and the girls screamed in horrified disbelief.

Sasuke and Naruto had kissed! Has the world gone mad? Is this the sign of the apocalypse?

'_Shannaro!'_ yelled Inner Sakura. _'Sasuke-kun's first kiss was supposed to be with me!'_

The two boys meanwhile had separated themselves from each other. Naruto had immediately hopped off of Sasuke's desk and placed himself as far away from the raven haired boy as possible while he wiped his lips with the sleeve of his jacket furiously and stared at the floor – he absolutely _refused_ to look at his rival – with a pale and horrified expression.

_Not again, 'ttebayo!_ Naruto mentally groaned.

Sasuke had opted to spit the taste of ramen from his mouth and onto the classroom floor. "Naruto," he said to the blond. "I'm going to kill you!"

"My mouth's going to rot, 'ttebayo!" Naruto yelled as he wiped at his lips with more vigour. Then finally, Naruto had noticed the extreme spike of killing intent in the room – which felt worse to him than to anyone else in the room because for one thing, it was directed at him and also because of his Jinchuurki ability of being super sensitive to negative emotions. "I sense danger."

He turned his head towards the furious females in the room and his face grew ten shades paler.

"Naruto," Sakura growled. "You are so dead!"

Ino and the other girls nodded in agreement.

"It was an accident!" the spiky-haired blond said quickly as he brought his hands up in front of him in a vain attempt at defending himself from the onslaught of killing intent emanating from the kunoichis in the room. "An accident, 'ttebayo!"

Sakura and a few of the girls cracked their knuckles together while the rest took out weapons such as kunai and shuriken that gleamed dangerously in the light of the late morning sun.

"Get him!"

_Why me, 'ttebayo?_

XxX

"Naruto…" sighed the Sandaime as he pinched the bridge of his nose exasperatedly.

The Jounin just watched the poor blond take the merciless beating with unsuppressed sympathy.

XxX

"Starting from today, you are all official ninjas," said Iruka to the class of graduates. "But you are all still Genin – the lowest of the low." The scarred man took his time to study the faces of all of his previous students before his eyes finally landed on Naruto's beaten and bruised face. He hid a grimace at the sight before continuing his speech. "It's just going to get harder for you guys from here. You all shall be placed in three-man cells where you shall accomplish missions under a Jounin-sensei."

Most of the students gasped at this announcement – Naruto was too busy helping Kurama with healing his poor face.

_A group of three?_ mused Sakura from her seat in between Naruto and Sasuke.

Ino smirked before she leaned down to talk to Sakura. "I wonder who's going to be in Sasuke-kun's team…" the long-haired blond said slowly.

"Who knows," said Sakura as she glared at Ino's smug face from the corner of her green eyes.

'_Shannaro!'_ fumed Inner Sakura. _'I'm going to be on Sasuke-kun's team, of course!'_

Sasuke just clicked his tongue in annoyance. A teammates would only burden him and get in his way. He would be better off alone.

"Now," said the Chunin after he had given his students some time to mull over his earlier announcement. "We have arranged the groups such that overall abilities are equivalent." Pulling up a single piece of paper Iruka continued. "Now, I shall announce the teams. Team 1 will consist of…"

And with that began the chorus of cheers, relieved sighs and disappointed groans by the students. It was a while before Team 7 was announced.

"Next, Team 7," began Iruka. "They are Uzumaki Naruto…"

The Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki tensed up.

"…Haruno Sakura…"

The pink-haired girl groaned in disappointment at this. _I'm doomed…_

"…and Uchiha Sasuke."

The Uchiha remained silent.

Sakura cheered and jumped from her seat, "Yeah!" while the other girls in the classroom either groaned, sighed, fumed and glared daggers at the happy-looking pink-haired kunoichi.

The two glanced at their last member, to gouge his reaction. Surprisingly, the reaction they got wasn't what they were expecting.

"Sasuke and Sakura, huh?" Naruto sighed, a dark shadow briefly appearing in his blue eyes.

Everyone was shocked at this.

But they quickly shook the feeling away and just scratched it up to Naruto not having much energy to do much after his beating from the girls. Hey, even the hyperactive idiot has to run out of energy some time, right?

Hyuuga Hinata looked at her idol in concern before her expression turned into one of disappointment. She wasn't going to be in the same team as Naruto-kun…

"And now, Team 8," Hinata heard the teacher say. "Hyuuga Hinata…"

Hinata tore her eyes away from Naruto and gave her full attention to Iruka.

"…Inuzuka Kiba…"

The dog-lover smirked.

"…and lastly, Aburame Shino."

Shino remained impassive.

Sakuran turned around in her seat and gave a 'victory' sign and directed a superior smirk towards her love-rival.

Ino fumed. _Why does Sakura get to be on the same team as Sasuke-kun?_

'_Shannaro!'_ cheered Inner Sakura. _'Love prevails!'_

"Why do girls like tht guy so much anyway?" a bored voice dragged out next to Ino.

The blond girl shot the boy next to her a skeptical look. "You don't even know _that_, Shikamaru?"

"Because I'm not a girl," shot the lazy genius.

Ino sighed as if Shikamaru had just said that he didn't know the answer to 1+1. "This is why you will never be popular, Shikamaru. I feel kinda sorry for the idiots who end up on _your_ team."

"And now, Team 10," announced Iruka. "Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru…"

The Nara boy smirked. "And it looks like _you're_ going to be one of those 'idiots'."

"…and Akimichi Chouji."

Ino glanced at the round boy sitting a few seats away – who was inhaling a bag the bag of chips he had with him furiously – in front of her and groaned. "Not _him _too!"

"And that's it for the teams!" Iruka said to his students. "Your Jounin-sensei's will come for you in the afternoon. Until then, you are all dismissed.

XxX

Ino scowled at the retreating back of her skinnier teammate. "And just where do you think you're going?"

Shikamaru turned around and said, "Naruto said that there was something he wanted to talk to me about on the roof." The Nara boy turned back around and lazily walked out of the classroom.

"Hey, wai-!" Ino never got to finish her sentence as Shikamaru had already left.

She sighed. _Damnit Shikamaru… _Ino internally groaned as she glanced at the still eating Chouji behind her. _Don't leave me alone with him…_

XxX

"What did you want to talk to me about, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked the orange clad boy who had somehow gotten to their designated meeting place before he did. The blond must have just ran out of the classroom before he did and Shikamaru just didn't notice.

The blond smiled at him. "I'm not Naruto," he said simply.

The Nara boy gasped when he heard a similar voice from behind him. "_I_ am."

Shikamaru only had enough time to turn around and get a brief look at the other Naruto behind him before he was knocked out by a hand that was glowing with golden fire.

Naruto sighed as he dragged his unconscious friend to a shadier part of the roof an his clone dispelled. If things went as well as it did with Jiraiya, then his friend was going to be out of it for at least twenty minutes, which gives them another ten minutes to discuss a few things before they were called back into the classroom.

The blond took out a cup of instant ramen – which he had left the clone to make while he attended the meeting – and started eating. "Itadakimasu."

He suddenly felt a presence make itself known from one of the higher roofs of the Academy. "Something wrong?" the blond asked as he slurped on his noodles.

"Not really," a white-haired man said as he jumped off of the roof and land in front of his dining godson. "Just came to tell you that I'll be leaving the village for a while."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in question; his mouth was too occupied with the task of chewing on his noodles.

"Sensei and I figured that it would be better if we could get Tsunade-hime back to the village as soon as possible," Jiraiya elaborated. "I'll track her down and drag her here by her big boobs back here kicking and screaming if I have to."

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Ero-sennin?" the blond boy chuckled.

Jiraiya just gave a brief smile in response before he continued, "I heard a couple of rumors about Akatsuki being sighted in the Land of Iron, I'm going to go there and investigate."

Naruto swallowed the noodles he had in his mouth. "Be careful," he said to his godfather softly. "Don't get yourself killed. If you do, then I'll use Edo Tensei to bring you back to life and kill you again myself, 'ttebayo."

Jiraiya nodded. He wouldn't be too surprise if Naruto actually did that – the boy was known for keeping his word, no matter how ridiculous they sound at first. "There's something I need to ask you," he said. "It's… more of a favor, actually."

The Fourth Hokage's son looked up from his cup of instant ramen and gave the old pervert a questioning look.

"If you could…" Jiraiya began slowly. "You… In your memories… Nagato seemed a lot happier when Kabuto had revived him and… I was wondering that maybe… do you think it would be a wise decision if… we gave him and Konan their memories back…?"

Naruto was silent as he thought over the idea for a few moments. It wasn't a bad idea… Having his fellow disciples on their side would save them a lot of trouble… but there was the issue of actually getting close enough to them to use the jutsu…

Jiraiya was starting to sweat. He wondered how Naruto would react to his idea. Would he be furious? Nagato did kill him after all, but…

"I guess we could do that, 'ttebayo," Naruto finally said. "But maybe we should just return Nagato his memories and let Konan decide on whether she wants hers back or not. And maybe we could even throw Itachi into the loop as well. I'd really like it if he would just talk Sasuke and tell him the truth about the Masacre and… I guess, he was never really a bad guy…"

"Yeah," Jiraiya agreed softly as he recalled Naruto's memories of skilled Uchiha. "But, let's wait. We'll deal with Orochimaru and the Sand-Sound Invasion first and discuss the idea with the others after the Chunin Exams."

"Sounds like a plan, 'ttebayo." Another slurp of noodles. "So, when are you leaving?"

"Right now," Jiraiya said as he showed Naruto the enormous pack he had strapped to his back. "I think I'll start working on that new book I'd been planning to write since our original timeline."

"Please don't tell me that it's something perverted…" Naruto grumbled.

"It's not," Jiraiya said fondly. "This book is going to be epic and it'll be called 'The Tale of Uzumaki Naruto'."

Naruto paused in his consumption of ramen to stare incredulously at his teacher.

"I'm telling you, this one's going to be a hit. It's going to have anything and everything there is to know about the Great Saviour of the Shinobi World. Everyone will know your name and they'll sing songs about your greatness and everything." Jiraiya's smile turned softer as he studied the dubious look on his godson's face. "I want everyone to know your story and everything that you've done for them – that you're _still_ doing for them – after you've…" the old hermit chocked on his words. He couldn't say it… he just couldn't. "Are you sure that there isn't anything we can do that'll change your mind about this…? I mean, the Shinigami's stomach isn't exactly a five-star hotel and…" his words died in his throat as he saw the apologetic smile on the blond's face.

"Sorry, Ero-sennin," said Naruto. "But, my mind's made up. I don't care where my damned soul ends up, 'ttebayo. I just want-"

"To save everyone, I know." Jiraiya smiled before he turned away and walked across the roof of the Academy. "I'll see you when I get back, I guess," the Sannin threw over his shoulder before he Shushined away from Naruto's view.

Naruto remained quiet as he finished the rest of his lunch while he waited for his lazy friend to wake up.

XxX

A/N: So, what do you think?

Recommended fic of the chapter: Phoenix Rising, by Kai Maciel – a Naruto Fanfic.


	3. Chapter 3 Shikamaru Enters The Game!

A/N: I'm posting this much-longer-than-the-previous-two-chapters chapter as an apology for the long wait of this and the next update. Thanks to the slave-drivers – also known as my teachers – I'd be lucky if I could even breathe anywhere _near_ my computer. The next update will come sometime before the end of July… I hope. Again, very very sorry!

Please excuse the horrible fight scenes as I am still working on improving myself in that certain area. And I hope you guys like the picture and the summary!

To Bloody Rabbit Alice (aka Usagi-chan), Allyieh, Crimsonsheen, kitty 132383, RedRangerBelt, Theia Pallas, DarkFoxKit, Madara Rennigan, EmiTenshi, xNaomi, luckyschoolgirl and Sayle: *Squeals like one of Sasuke's fangirls* 12 reviews and it's only the second chapter! That's like, eighteen reviews if you count the ones from the first! Guys, thank you sooooo much! Wow, I'm so happy – though you can see it – I'm starting to cry!

To Allyieh: Don't tell anyone this, but that's exactly what I was aiming for! But my little brother is staring to convince me to do otherwise... Oh well, I guess you'll just have to read and see!

To Crimsonsheen: I hope I haven't gone OOC in this chapter. I'm really glad that you liked my little Naruto/Jiraiya bonding scene. I think that Naruto and Jiraiya's relationship is important too – though, personally, I think the bond he shares with Sasuke is more important. It sucks that Kishimoto killed of the old pervert, don't you think?

To RedRangerBelt: About Shikamaru, you'll just have to read this chapter and find out! And I'm glad that you thought that the kissing scene was funny – thaht took a load off of my chest – And as for who would else would get their memories back... hmm... I don't know, I haven't really decided yet. Do you have any suggestions?

To DarkFoxKit: I swear, I will not abandon this story unless I get extreme writer's block, DarkFoxKit-san! You'll see! And if I do, I'll run a thousand laps around my neighborhood as an apology to you! *Does the Nice Guy Pose with shining teeth, sunset background and all*

To EmiTenshi: Thank you, thank, you, thank you, thank you, soooooo much for the compliment! I was afraid that people might not like my 'getting their memories back' idea! But I'm really glad that you do! And as for Kai's fics, I especially like Raven's Fall and Before The Phoenix. And have you read her new fic, Saviour?

Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it? And the impossible is all that Uzumaki Naruto has ever done and – most likely – _has_ done once more.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_. An imaginary cookie goes to those who already knew that.

**Rewind, Relive, Return**

CHAPTER 3 - _Shikamaru Enters The Game! Team 7 Once More!_

XxX

Nara Shikamaru groaned as he woke up to one of the worse headaches he had ever gotten in his life.

"How're you feeling, Shika?" the Nara heard a familiar voice ask.

He turned his head to see a blond boy sitting next to him with an empty cup of instant ramen in his hands.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Shikamaru grumbled slowly. "You…" he pointed to his wide-eyed blond friend. "…are one troublesome guy." Shikamaru slowly pushed himself up until he was no longer lying on the roof but was now sitting up. "Man, I need a smoke…"

Naruto chuckled. "It's good to have you back, 'ttebayo."

Shikamaru looked at the blond's smiling face seriously before he drew his eyes to the window of their classroom which could be seen from their position on the roof. "Is this real?" he asked – more to himself than to Naruto. "Are we really in the past?"

"Believe it," Naruto replied anyway.

Shikamaru sighed. "If I didn't know how much your chakra control sucks, I would have thought that the things that I saw were just some kind of extremely believable genjutsu."

"It's not a genjutsu," said the Jinchuuriki as he stood up to throw away his empty ramen cup.

"So, they really are alive then…" said the genius softly as he thought of Team 10's sensei.

"Yeah…" Naruto said just as softly. He walked over to his friend and sat down next to him.

Shikamaru turned his head to look at his friend. "So, who else's got their memories back?"

"So far," said the blond, "it's just Ero-sennin and the toads. I gave the old perv his yesterday morning. The toads got theirs back around the same time I did."

Shikamaru nodded. He didn't need Naruto to explain further. The Nara boy was smart enough to understand what his friend meant. Apparently if the Summoner remembers, then so would the Summons.

"I was telling the truth, 'ttebayo," Naruto said to Shikamaru. "I really do need to talk to you about something."

The lazy genius looked at the blond questioningly.

"Me, Ero-sennin and Sandaime-jii-chan had decided that we needed to give the other Jinchuuriki and Tsunade-baa-chan their memories back," began the blond. "Ero-sennin had this idea that it might be better if we gave Nagato – that's Pein, by the way – and Itachi their memories back, but we've decided to put off the final decision until the after the Chunin Exams."

Shikamaru nodded as he processed the idea. "And where is Jiraiya-sama now?"

"He left the village to look for Tsunade-baa-chan, 'ttebayo," was the blond's reply. "Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about is whether we should give the others their memories back."

"Maybe not, it would be too troublesome…" Shikamaru spoke slowly before realization set in and he looked at Naruto carefully. "You're asking me whether we should give Sasuke and Sakura their memories back, aren't you?" his tone sounded more accusing than anything else.

Naruto slowly nodded without meeting the genius' eye. "More or less…"

The genius sighed. "If you want my opinion, I think giving Sasuke his memories back would be terrible idea. Worst case scenario, he might try to kill us immediately and at best, leave the village to go join Madara or Orochimaru, which would be very troublesome for us."

The blond remained silent but he nodded in understanding.

Shikamaru continued, "But, if you really want him to remember, then I suggest you wait until after the Exams and Orochimaru has either been killed or captured. And you absolutely should _not_ return his memories to him if he has the Cursed Seal."

Naruto's eyes lit up with a small flame of hope. "So, if Sasuke never got the Cursed Seal then-"

Shikamaru cut him off. "Maybe. We'll see."

The Jinchuuriki nodded once more in understanding. "What about Sakura-chan?"

The lazy genius thought it over. "Sakura's a wild card…" he began. "For one thing, she might be a big help to us, but for another, she might do something stupid and try to kill Sasuke herself like last time."

"So, that's a 'no' then, 'ttebayo," Naruto sighed.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"What about Sai-teme and Yamato-taichou?"

"Sai's in ROOT. We'd be lucky if we could even find him let alone get close enough to him to give the guy his memories back. And Yamato-senpai… well, we might need him if we have to restrain one of the bijuu. Don't look at me like that, Naruto. I know that they were ones who turned back time and that this entire thing was their idea in the first place, but I think we'd be better of being safe and sorry. Madara might somehow get his hands on one of them and try to control them with his Sharingan like he did with the Kyuubi, we'll need Yamato-taichou to help us when it happens."

"_If _it happens," Naruto corrected vehemently. "It'd be a cold day in Hell when I let Madara get anywhere close to them, 'ttebayo."

Sihkamaru sighed. "So troublesome…"

The bell chose that moment to ring and call the students back into the classroom.

Naruto and Shikamaru stood up and started walking to their class where they saw the other students were heading. Before Naruto could even step into the classroom, Shikamaru pulled the blond aside and forced his friend to face him. The genius sighed – something that he seems to do a lot.

"It's troublesome for me to say this, but…" he said to the Jinchuuriki. "You can't avoid him forever."

"What are you talking about, Shika?" questioned Naruto.

"Sasuke," was the lazy genius' answer. He gave the blond a sharp look when Naruto started to object. "You've been avoiding him. You haven't looked at him throughout the whole day. Not even when the two of you ki-"

"Don't say it, 'ttebyao," Naruto hissed.

Shikamaru sighed – again. "Look, I know it's hard, but you're going to have to face him sooner or later."

"I know, 'ttebayo…" mumbled the blond. "I'm just… I mean, he's…"

"I'm not forcing you to do anything," said the genius as he started to walk into the classroom of newly graduated Genin. "Just… try not to mess up. If you really want your best friend back, then I suggest you start by not treating him like he's some sort of disease."

XxX

"Hey, Shikamaru," Akimichi Chouji called to his best friend when the Nara boy entered the classroom. He and Ino had eaten lunch together with a heavy awkwardness hanging in the atmosphere. The big-boned boy could have sworn he had heard Ino sigh in relief when the bell signaling the end of lunch had rung. Chouji had been curious to know where his best friend had been and why he wasn't spending time with his newly-formed team, but when he asked Ino about it all he had gotten from the long-haired blond was a furious growl and many curses directed at the said Nara boy.

He lifted a curious eyebrow when he saw a frowning spiky-haired blond standing in the corridor outside of their classroom before Shikamaru slid the door close and cut off Chouji's view of the boy.

He tossed a questioning look to his best friend before he realized that Shikamaru was also frowing – at _him_.

"What is it, Shikamaru?" he asked the angry looking genius. "Why do look so mad? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Shikamaru's face twitched in annoyance. Seeing the Akimichi boy's face had triggered a memory that he had recently gotten from Naruto. It wasn't what his best friend had said that was pissing him off, but what the Akimichi boy had done – or _will_ do. Shikamaru had seen how Chouji had thrown himself into battle when he had barely recovered from his previous one just after he had heard of Shikamaru's death from Ino and Kurenai.

Shikamaru quelled his anger before answering the other boy's question. "It's too troublesome to explain," he grumbled.

Chouji's confusion just grew. _What was all _that_ about?_ he wondered.

Then, the door opened and the first Jounin arrived for the students.

XxX

"Naruto!" Sakura called furiously to her blond teammate. "What do you think you're doing?"

Naruto was lodging a blackboard eraser above the door of the classroom. "That's what he gets for being late!" the blond declared.

"Fine," grumbled Saukra. "But it's your own fault if you get in trouble. Sasuke-kun and I had absolutely nothing to do with it."

Inner Sakura meanwhile was cheering the infamous prankster on.

"Hn," grunted the last member of Team 7. "He's a Jounin. There's no way he's going to fall for suck a simple trick."

Naruto spared Sasuke a brief glance before he continued admiring his handy-work.

There it was again. Sasuke had noticed that the blond had been avoiding his gaze since he had entered the classroom that morning. The idiot hadn't even tried to goad him into a fight! Not once!

And whenever Naruto did look at him, it was always brief and never lasted longer than three seconds. Even if he wouldn't admit it – not even to himself – Sasuke was curious as to what he had done to the blond to get such a treatment from him.

It couldn't be because of the ki- umm… _that_, could it? No. Naruto had been avoiding him even before _it_ happened.

And, Sasuke realized, he hadn't even tried to flirt with their pink-haired teammate or try to get her to go on a date with him today. Naruto didn't even react when she had been futilely flirting with the Uchiha before the argument of who gets to sit next to him broke out either.

"Yeah!" Sakura agreed with Sasuke's earlier statement. "You're such an idiot, Naruto!"

Just as Sakura finished her statement, a gloved hand appeared at the small opening of the classroom's entrance and a masked face peered into the classroom before the eraser bounced on top of gravity-defying silver hair before dropping to the wooden floor.

Silence.

Naruto burst out laughing. "He fell for it!" _Again! _the blond mentally added in his head. "He fell for it, dattebayo!"

"I-I'm sorry sensei," Sakura apologized sweetly. "I told him not to do it, but Naruto just wouldn't listen to me."

Meanwhile, Inner Sakura was laughing just as loudly as the prankster was.

Sasuke was scrutinizing the silver-haired man critically. _Is this guy really a Jounin?_

The man bent down and picked up the eraser. He studied it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world before he turned his eyes on the three Genin.

"Hmm…" he mumbled lazily. "How should I say this… My first impression of you guys is…"

Sasuke and Sakura tensed up while Naruto grinned like a fox.

"Maa," the Jounin said. "I hate you."

Sasuke and Sakura twitched in annoyance and irritation. Naruto just sighed.

XxX

The three Genin and one Jounin could now be seen having their first official team meeting on the roof of Konoha's Ninja Academy.

"Now," the sensei said to his students. "Why don't the three of you introduce yourselves?"

"What should we say?" asked the pink-haired kunoichi of the team curiously.

"You know," drawled the Jounin lazily. "Your like, your dislikes, your dreams for the future, your hobbies… Stuff like that."

"Ano sa, ano sa," said Naruto. "Why don't you introduce yourself first, sensei?"

"Hmm. Me?" The man thought it over. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes or dislikes."

Sakura look at him questioningly, Sasuke remained impassive and Naruto simply looked annoyed – not that he'd expected anything less from the silver-haired man.

Kakashi continued. "As for my dreams. Hmm… Well, I've never really thought about it." Pause. "I have a few hobbies."

"So, all we found out was his name…" grumbled Sakura.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"Now," said Kakashi. "It's your turn." He turned to Naruto. "You're first."

The blond grinned as he jabbed a thumb at his chest. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo. I like to eat ramen, but I like the ramen Iruka-sensei treats me to at Ichiraku's a lot more. I really hate the three minutes you have to wait for the ramen to cook after you pour in the hot water. My hobbies are pranking and comparing the different flavors of ramen. And my dream is…"

Sasuke and Sakura were expecting for the blond to start his rant about becoming Hokage and getting everyone's acknowledgement, but what they got was entirely different.

"I'm going to become Hokage, dattebayo!" the blond announced. "One to surpass all the previous Hokage! I'll become a bigger badass than my father and a stronger shinobi than my mother _ever_ was! Believe it!" he quoted the words he had said to the Sandaime after his revelation of being from the future.

The other ninjas' eyes widened.

_Naruto's parents…?_ thought Sakura as she realized that her blond teammate had never said anything about his mother or father before before.

_He knows?_ Kakashi was shocked. The only secret bigger than the Kyuubi's imprisonment in the boy was the identity of his parents. How could he have known who they were? Does the Sandaime know of this?

Naruto's grin grew wider. The look on their faces was priceless! Even Sasuke looked surprised!

Kakashi quickly shook off his shock and kept control of his voice when he said, "Okey, next." He indicated to the still stunned pink-haired kunoichi.

"I-I'm Haruno Sakura!" the girl said with a smile as she quickly regained her composure. "I like… well, the person I like is…" She blushed as she glanced at Sasuke from the corner of her green eyes. "And my hobby is…" She brought her hands up to her face as she giggled. "My dream is to…KYAA~!"

Naruto and Kakashi stared at her in disbelief – though Kakashi hid his better than Naruto did. "And?" the silver haired Jounin asked. "What do you hate?"

"Naruto!" growled Sakura immediately.

Naruto just sighed and hung his head in exasperation. No fair! Now he really wanted the old Sakura-chan back, 'ttebayo!

Kakashi sighed. It was only to be expected. Girls her age were more interested in boys than their ninja training.

"Last guy," Kakashi called.

Sakura looked at Sasuke with admiration shining in her eyes.

Naruto didn't even look at the Uchiha, but he kept silent and listened to his rival's introduction.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," began the raven-haired teen. "There are many things that I hate and very few that I don't."

Sakura's expression dropped in slight disappointment.

"Also," Sasuke continued. "I have an ambition which I have no intention of just leaving as just a dream. That is, the revival of my clan and… to kill a certain man."

Everyone was silent.

Naruto snorted softly. _This guy_, he thought, _hasn't changed a bit._

_Sasuke-kun is _so_ cool! _Sakura squealed in her mind.

Kakashi was not surprised by Sasuke's revelation. _Just as I thought…_

"Alright," Kakashi broke the silence. "You three all have unique personalities. I like that. We're going to have our first mission tomorrow, so be prepared."

"Ano so, ano sa, what kind of mission is it?" asked Naruto with curious excitement – though the blond already knew the answer.

"We are going to do something that only we four can do," replied the teacher.

"What is it, sensei?" asked the blond once more.

"Survival training," said Kakashi.

"Survival training?" parroted Sakura. "Why are we going to train when it's a mission? We had plenty of training at the Academy."

"This is no ordinary training," said the teacher ominously.

"Then, what kind of training is it?" asked the Jinchuuriki of the team.

Kakashi just chuckled darkly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Hey," grumbled the only kunoichi present. "What's so funny, sensei?"

"Well," began the one-eyed Jounin. "If I say this, I'm sure that the three of you are going to be very surprised."

Naruto very much doubted that.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at their teachers questioningly.

"Out of the 27 graduates," Kakashi said. "Only 9 are going to become Genins. The other 18 shall be sent back to the Academy. In other words, this training is actually a very hard test with a dropout rate of 66%."

Sakura gasped.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Naruto…yawned…?

_Well_, thought Kakashi. _That's unexpected._

"No way!" screeched Sakura incredulously. "Then, what was the final exam for?"

"That?" asked Kakashi when he had finally torn his eyes away from Naruto and the blond's lack of surprise. "It was held to pick out those who are _qualified_ to become Genin."

"What?" Sakura yelled. She turned to Naruto and was greatly shocked at the blond's lack of reaction. Did he know about this from the very beginning?

"Anyway, I'm going to determine whether you guys pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds. Bring your ninja equipment and meet at Training Ground Three at 5am tomorrow."

The man turned his back to the three – two of them panicking slightly – and announced, "Now, then, meeting over." He paused. "Oh yeah," he narrowed his eyes on his students. "Don't eat breakfast. You're going to throw up if you do."

XxX

Sasuke was walking home, reflecting on his new Jounin-sensei's words.

He grunted in annoyance as he thought of his two teammates - the fangirl and the village idiot. An image of the love-struck girl and the loudmouth blond entered his mind. They were weak and would just drag him down with them. They're more of a nuisance than anything else.

Their sensei on the other hand… He thought of the mask-wearing Jounin and frowned. He was… strange, but he was a Jounin, so he must be powerful. He would be the key to Sasuke's path in revenge. Maybe, if _he_ was the only one who passed tomorrow's test and the two losers failed, then it would just be him and his sensei. He would get stronger under the silver-haired Jounin's tutelage and it wouldn't be long before he was strong enough to face and kill _that man_.

"Oi, teme!" a loud voice cut through his thoughts.

Sasuke scowled. Only one person called him that. He'd recognize the voice anywhere.

"What do you want, usaratonkachi?" Sasuke asked without turning around or pausing in his stride.

He could hear the other pre-teen take a deep breath before he blurted out, "Let's train together."

Sasuke stopped and turned around to give his blond teammate a questioning look.

"Y'know," Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably under the Uchiha's dark gaze. Unknown to the raven-haired boy, the blond was nearly sweating with the effort of driving out the image of the exact same black eyes staring at him with such hate and loathing… "To get ready for the test tomorrow…"

"Why should I train with _you_?" asked Sasuke haughtily. His I-am-an-Uchiha-bow-down-to-me attitude was resurfacing.

"Why shouldn't you, 'ttebayo?" the blond shot back almost angrily.

Sasuke grunted. "Forget it, loser," he turned his back on his – unknown to him – once best friend and continued on his way home. "I don't want to waste my time on you."

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists as he watched his friend turn his back on him just as he had done many times before. _Damnit!_ he cursed silently. _Sasuke… You haven't changed at all, have you?_

"Putting on airs as always, huh Sasuke?" the blond said quietly to himself before he sighed. Well, he tried treating the teme like a friend and he failed. At least now, Shikamaru can't say that he didn't try.

"Hey, Naruto!" a high-pitched feminine voice called from behind the blond. "Have you seen Sasuke-kun anywhere? I wanted to ask him if maybe he would…" Sakura's words died in her throat as she blushed deeply at the thought of asking Sasuke-kun out on a date.

"Yeah," Naruto answered, his voice cracking slightly. "The teme just left."

"Naruto!" screeched Sakura. "Don't call Sasuke-kun a teme!"

Then, an idea struck Naruto. "Hey, Sakura-chan," he said to the only girl on his team. "Do you want me to show you something neat?"

"No way," Sakura said immediately. "Whatever it is, it's probably something disgusting or perverted."

"It's not, dattebayo!" Honestly, you invent one seduction jutsu and everyone thinks you're a pervert. "Please, just at least let me show it to you Sakura-chan," he almost whined.

"Why should I?" Sakura asked.

Naruto groaned. Here we go again. "If you do…" the blond thought it over. "I-If you do then I'll…umm… Aha! If you let me show you this trick, then I promise I'll never ask you out on a date ever again!"

"W-wha…?" to say that the pink-haired kunoichi was shocked was an enormous understatement. "Are you serious?"

Naruto nodded vehemently.

"But why?" This Naruto we're talking about – the idiot who's been chasing after Sakura's affections since their very first day at the Academy. Had the blond finally realized that getting her to like him was futile when her one true – and _only_ – love was the great Uchiha Sasuke? Or maybe… "Naruto, have you found someone else that you like?"

Naruto was confused. Where did she get that idea from? The only reason he had even suggested the idea was because he really wanted the pink-haired girl to see what he wanted to show her and also because after years of getting to know her better, Naruto had come to ee his teammate a more of a sister than anything else. "Actually, no," he said. "I…"

But Sakura wasn't listening to the blond anymore. The girl just giggled. Now that Naruto had started liking another girl, there was one less person who would get in the way of her love-life. Sakura smiled.

"It's OK," Sakura reassured (ignoring Naruto's confused expression). "I won't tell anyone about this." The girl hesistated a little before she sighed and said, "And sure, I guess I could go see what this 'neat trick' of yours is."

Naruto sighed in relief before he flashed Sakura his infamous face-splitting grin. "Alright, 'ttebayo!" The blond turned around and quickly walked away from Sakura.

"Eh?" Sakura exclaimed in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna need a good tree if I wanna show you my trick, 'ttebayo," her blond teammate said.

Sakura started running to catch up to Naruto's fast pace. "Huh? Why?"

Naruto grinned. "You'll see, 'ttebayo!"

XxX

"Alright, watch!" Naruto instructed to Sakura once they've reached one of the many training grounds of Konoha. The blond started walking towards one of the trees with Sakura watching his every move.

At first, Sakura had thought that Naruto was going to run straight into the tree, but instead he… walked up the tree…?

"Naruto," Sakura said in amazement as she watched Naruto stand upside-down under one of the higher branches of the tree. "How are you doing that…?

"It's cool, huh, 'ttebayo?" Naruto grinned before he hopped off the tree, twisted his body in mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet. "As for how I did it…" Naruto's grin grew wider. "Well, I used my chakra of course."

"Huh?" questioned Sakura.

"You see," Naruto started explaining. "All you have to do is gather your chakra at the bottom of your feet, like so." He lifted one foot and made it glow with his normal blue chakra to help with his explanation. "And use it to attach yourself to the tree trunk. Like this." The blond walked up the tree once more and stopped halfway to the top to look back down at his still gaping teammate. "It's easy, 'ttebayo."

"N-Naruto," Sakura called to the blond as he slowly walked down the tree. "Where… Who taught you how to do this…?"

"Some Jounin I knew a while back, 'ttebayo," the Kyuubi vessel said simply. Well, it was true… kinda… "He said that this exercise helps shinobi with their chakra control. The better your control is the easier and less chakra you'd need to do a jutsu."

"C-can I… umm…?" Sakura stuttered. How was she going to ask the person that she said she hated to teach her something that seemed so easy to him?

'_Shannaro!' _raved Inner Sakura in frustration.

"Since you're still new at this," Naruto began. "I'd suggest you try running up the tree to give yourself a boost, 'ttebayo."

"Okay," said the pink-haired girl taking his advice without any comments. She stared at the tree determinedly before she broke into a run towards it.

Sakura ran. Up and up and up until… "Hah!" gasped Sakura as she finally reached the top and grabbed onto the closest branch she could reach and hoisted herself onto it. "I did it…" the girl mumbled in disbelief. "I-I did it! Yeah!"

"That was awesome, 'ttebayo!" Naruto cheered.

Sakura smiled in triumph greatly resisting the urge to pump her fist and yelled _'SHANNARO!'_

"Now, for the hard part," Naruto grinned. "Getting _down_."

Sakura blanched when she looked down and realized how high she actually was. _Aw man…_

XxX

"Ne, Sakura-chan, I'll be honest with you," Naruto said as he walked into the main town of Konoha with his green-eyed friend walking next to him. The sun was setting over the village of Konoha. He had made Sakura practice the tree-climbing exercise until she was almost ready to pass out from chakra exhaustion. The only reason the pink-haired kunoichi stopped complaining about how sweaty she was getting and how unattractive she looked drenched in sweat ("What if Sasuke-kun saw me?) was because of what Naruto had said about the exercise helping her with her chakra control. And with better chakra control, she would be one step closer to becoming a stronger kunoichi and getting 'Sasuke-kun' to notice her more – though she already had excellent control, it still barely held a candle to the control the future Sakura had. "I think you're a horrible fighter, 'ttebayo."

"What was that?" growled Sakura dangerously to the blond.

Naruto paled as he realized how his words might have sounded. "N-No! What I meant was… umm… you should probably leave the fighting to me and Sasuke-teme seeing as to how bad you are at taijutsu. Heck, you're worse than me, 'ttebayo!"

"Naruto…" the kunoichi hissed in warning.

"Wait!" the Jinchuuriki said quickly. "I mean that in a _good_ way… umm well, you…" Naruto groaned. He really sucked when it came to explaining complicated stuff like this, 'ttebayo! "You're a really smart person Sakura-chan," the blond began slowly.

Sakura – not hearing anything wrong or demeaning – nodded in satisfaction.

"But that's just it! You've got more brains than you have brawns." Seeing Sakura's annoyed expression Naruto quickly put his hands up in defense. "Just hear me out for a second, 'ttebayo."

Sakura didn't say anything and Naruto took that as his cue to resume talking.

"Though, you're not as smart as Shikamaru is." Sakura gave Naruto a skeptical look. "Oh, don't look at me like that," the blond grumbled – continuing the mostly one sided conversation. "Shikamaru's smart – all Naras are, 'ttebayo. Most of them are just too lazy to get off of their asses and actually use those monstrously high IQs of theirs. Our little Shika just so happens to be the laziest of them all.

"Now, as I was saying, you're smart and you have near-perfect chakra control (his teammate visibly brightened at that), but you're really bad at taijutsu and you're chakra reserves are really small compared to mine and Sasuke's, 'ttebayo. I'm not saying that you shouldn't fight – _by all means_, get stronger – just that you don't have the chakra reserves or the love for destructive jutsu me and the teme do. That's why…" Naruto directed his blue eyes to his friend. "I think you should become the medic of our team."

"Huh?" exclaimed Sakura. "Why?"

"All medic-nin have good chakra control like you do, 'ttebayo," he explained shortly.

"I don't know, Naruto…" the girl said hesitantly. "I mean, I-I'm not saying that iryou-nin are useless or anything, but… well…"

The blond sighed. He was afraid that something like this would happen. Fortunately, he'd already thought of a back-up plan for this exact situation. "_Think_ about it, Sakura-chan…" he said slowly as a lecherous grin crept its way onto his face.

He moved closer to the pink-haired girl. "When, Sasuke-teme gets himself injured on a dangerous mission, he'll turn to _you_ to heal him…" Sakura's eyes widened at the blond's words. "He'll be counting on _you _to make him _feel_ better and to treat his wounds… Think about how _close_ you'd have to get to him when you have to heal his injuries or wrap his wounds in bandages… If he gets some cuts on his chest, he'd have to _take his shirt off _and…" Naruto left the sentence hanging. Sakura better make up her mind _fast_! The Jinchuuriki was afraid that the mental scaring he was getting from all of this would never fade.

Sakura meanwhile was in a world of her own.

XxX

_She imagined Sasuke-kun, shirtless on a white bed watching her every move as she ghosted her hands over his perfect skin…_

"_Sakura," he'd call out her name sweetly._

"_Y-yes," she'd stutter while a cute blush adorned her face._

_He would reach out, stroke her face softly and say, "You have such a charming, wide forehead."_

_Then, Sakura would giggle adorably at his sudden praise. "Oh, Sasuke-kun…"_

_And then, he'd give her a dazzling smile and lean in and… and… and…!_

"_Sakura-chan!" Naruto would barge in on them and she and Sasuke-kun would pause just as they were about to have their first kiss. (That… _thing_ that happened with Naruto didn't count!)_

XxX

_Huh? _thought Sakura with great confusion. _Naruto…?_

"Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto once more from the real world. Then, he sighed in exasperation. "You didn't listening to a single word I was said, were you, 'ttebayo?"

"Yes, I was!" she immediately denied the blond's accusation as Naruto lifted an unconvinced eyebrow. "I-I just zoned out a little…" she mumbled as a light blush dusted her cheek. She couldn't believe that _Naruto_ – of all people – had caught her fantasizing about Sasuke-kun!

A shirtless… hot… Sasu-

"Sakura-chan!" the Fourth Hokage's son called once more. "You're doing it again, dattebayo!"

"Am not!" was the pink-haired girl's quick reply. "Anyway," she reseumed before Naruto could come up with his own reply. "I-I think you're right! Maybe I _should_ become an iryou-nin! I-I mean, _someone_ will have to look after you guys if you get yourselves hurt o-or something." she announced with a sagely nod of her head.

"Alright then," Naruto said as he started walking towards the direction of his run-down apartment. It would be better if he escaped now. He really didn't want to be anywhere near Sakura and her weird fantasies of Sasuke at the moment. "That's all I wanted to say to you, I guess." He broke into a jog as he called a quick "See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan!" over his shoulder.

"Yeah…" Sakura said as if in a daze. It would seem that the green-eyed girl was still fantasizing about her precious Sasuke-kun.

XxX

A few minutes later, just as she was about to turn the corner that would lead to the street where her house was located, Sakura was stopped by a familiar face she hadn't seen since morning.

"Iruka-sensei?" she called to the scarred Chunin.

The sensei – who had been roving his eyes around the neighborhood – turned his warm brown eyes to his ex-student and a smile almost immediately lit up his tan face. "Hey there, Sakura!"

"What are you doing here, sensei?" the girl asked curiously. If she remembered correctly, Iruka lived on the _other _side of the village…right?

"I came by to give you these," he said, smile still in place as he showed her the many scrolls Sakura hadn't noticed he had been carrying.

"Scrolls?" The pink-haired girl was busting with nearly curiosity right about now.

"Not just any scrolls," said Iruka as he carefully handed the scrolls to the girl. "These are scrolls on iryou-jutsu."

"Really?" Sakura asked, her green eyes visibly lighting up.

After Naruto had left, Sakura had thought – _really_ thought – more on the idea of becoming an iryou-nin. The concept did sound interesting… and iryou-nin were pretty rare to come by, even in a big village like Konoha – which just made the thought only seem _more_ appealing – and having at least one medic on their team really wasn't such a bad idea and let's not forget the fact that Sasuke-kun would have to depend on _her_ to heal his wounds… KYAA~!

But, she her thoughts were going off course. Now that she really thought about it, being an iryou-nin really wasn't that bad…maybe.

"Yes," answered the sensei, his smile growing wider seeing his ex-student's obvious enthusiasm at learning iryou-ninjutsu. "Naruto came by to my place about an hour ago and told me about how you were interested in becoming an iryou-nin. He asked if I had-"

"Wait!" Sakura cried, rudely cutting the Chunin off. "_Naruto_? _He_ asked you to get these for me?"

"That's right," chirped the scarred man, unperturbed by the girl's earlier interruption.

_But how?_ Sakura thought in slight distress. _Naruto was teaching me that tree climbing exercise around that time…wasn't he?_

Iruka looked towards the setting sun and noted how late it was getting. "Well, I have to go now," the man said as he turned towards the direction of his house. "I'll see you later, Sakura!" Without waiting for a reply, the man jumped onto the nearest roof and disappeared from Sakura's sight.

"Y-yeah…" mumbled the kunoichi as she stood there in the middle of the street with a bundle of scrolls in her arms, she was still shaken up with what the teacher had said.

_Wait! Could Naruto be a…_ Sakura immediately dismissed the absurd thought with a furious shake of her head. She chuckled a little at how ridiculous the idea sounded. _Iruka-sensei must have said 'a minute ago' and not 'an hour ago'. I must have just misheard him. Besides…_ she opened her front door as her knees wobbled and her voice called out a shaky, "I-I'm home."

_There are no such things as ghosts…right?_

XxX

As soon as he was sure that there was no one around to see him – not that anyone bothered to even look at him in the first place – Naruto used Hiraishin to transport himself to his apartment quicker.

As he plopped himself down on his rusty bed, Naruto thought back on the events that had taken place earlier that day.

He had seen all of the Rookie 9 – people he had thought he would never have the privilage of laying his eyes on ever again – he had given Shikamaru his memories back (He absolutely _refused_ to think of that _thing _that had happened with Sasuke before that!), Team 7 had – unknown to its other members – had their second reunion where all four of them had knowingly been in the same place at once (this time _without_ one of them having already been a nuke-nin for almost three years and the other three trying to kill and/or save said traitor), Kakashi-sensei had told them about the stupid test and he had given Sakura-chan a one-on-one lesson on tree climbing.

The blond sighed as he felt the clone he had sent to Iruka-sensei's house earlier dispel itself and showed him its memories of seeing Iruka-sensei give Sakura-chan the scrolls on iryou-ninjutsu just as he had asked for. He had been wondering whether or not doing that was such a good idea.

For one thing, he had helped out Sakura by setting her path on becoming an iryou-nin and he even gave her a little push by asking Iruka-sensei to give her the necessary scrolls she might need. For another, he had given her the wrong kind of _push_ and motivated her through Sasuke!

Naruto groaned and rolled onto his side as another thought entered his mind. Speaking of the teme, if he sees him and Sakura doing the tree climbing exercise, he'd get frustrated and mad that the 'stupid fangirl' and the 'dead last' could do something that him, 'the great Uchiha' couldn't. Then, he'd start thinking that he was weaker than both Naruto and Sakura… Then, he'd start thinking about how much farther he was from achieving his goal in revenge… And when Orochimaru comes for him during the Exams, the idea of having more power would just sound all the more appealing… and then… and then…

By this time, an – almost visible – cloud of frustration and depression had settled itself comfortably over the bed and enveloped itself around our favorite blond Jinchuuriki.

Naruto, realizing where his thoughts were leading him, quickly shook his head – as if to shoo away the cloud of gloom – and heaved another sigh.

Well, too late to turn back now. (He was too scared to think of what might happen if he asked Kurama to reverse time once more over something – in Naruto's opinion _only_ was not – so trivial.) Might as well just wait and see what happens.

And with that _cheerful _thought, the blond hauled himself out of bed and began getting himself ready to sleep for the night and mentally prepared himself for the trauma he was sure to come from having to take his sensei's stupid Bell Test…_again_.

XxX

The next morning, Sasuke and Sakura had turned up early at Konoha's Third Training Ground. Sakura was just about ready to drop on her feet. She was so tired, she didn't even realize that both her ad Sasuke had arrived at the exact same time until he was standing right next to her. Though Sasuke hid his exhaustion better than his female teammate, you could tell ho tired the prodigy was by how droopy his dark eyes were. If Naruto were there, he was pretty sure that the blond would have made fun of his half-lidded eyes and barely conscious state – if the idiot weren't so tired himself, that is.

Speaking of the loud-mouth...

"Where's the idiot?" asked the raven-haired boy as he ran his dark eyes over the area in search of his more brightly colored teammate.

"Huh?" questioned Sakura sleepily as her mind slowly processed the Uchiha's question. "Oh, you mean Naruto?" She gave the training ground a brief glance herself before she heavily shrugged. "I don't know. He probably just overslept or something…" he mumbled incoherently.

"Hn," grunted Sasuke. Knowing the ramen-loving blond, Sakura's theory probably wasn't that far off its mark. _That idiot…_

XxX

"YOU'RE LATE!"

"W-well, you see…" Naruto chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand as his other had was occupied with holding a small plastic bag. "I just thought that since Kakashi-sensei was late yesterday, it would only make sense that he'd be late again today, 'ttebayo."

"And what if he wasn't?" Sakura challenged the blond.

_Then, I'd have a heart-attack_, Naruto thought to himself silently. "Then, he'd deserve having to wait for me since he made _us_ wait for _him_ yesterday, dattebayo!"

"But still," Sakura fumed. "What if we were on a really impor-!"

Sasuke, who could already feel the headache that was sure to come from having to listen to the two yell at each other, quickly cut off Sakura from her rant and brought up a different topic. "What's in the bag, usaratonkachi?"

Naruto grumbled a short, "Don't call me that," under his breath before he stuffed his hand into the plastic bag and pulled out one of its contents to show to his teammates. "Apples," he said simply as he bought up the ripe red fruit to their eyes.

As if on cue, both Sasuke and Sakura's stomachs grumbled loudly at the sight of the fat juicy red fruit.

Sakura groaned.

"Usaratonkachi," Sasuke growled at the undignified noise his body made. "We're not supposed to have breakfast, remember? Or is your brain too small to even recall something as insignificant as that?"

"A single apple doesn't count as breakfast, 'ttebayo," Naruto said with a sagely nod. "It's more of a…" he thought of the proper words he could use before he turned back to the Uchiha. "A morning snack, dattebayo!"

"Sasuke-kun's right," said Sakura even as she looked at the fruit in her teammates hand with great longing. "We're only going to get in trouble if we eat anything."

Naruto shrugged, as if he couldn't care less. "Whatever," he said as he brought the apple to his mouth. "More for me then." And with that, the blond took a great big bite out of the red fruit. A couple of drops of its juice ran down the blond's chin. Realizing this, Naruto quickly wiped his mouth before he tore another bite out of the apple.

Sakura kept looking at the red fruit her teammate was eating in longing while Sasuke was looking at a random tree, trying his best to ignore the crunching sounds the blond made as he chewed on the apple.

Naruto – who had finally decided to take pity on his friends – threw away the remains of his 'morning snack' at a random direction before he took out the remaining two apples and tossed one of them to each of his teammates.

"N-Naruto," began Sakura hesitantly as she brought her green eyes to the fruit in her hand before she tore them around the training ground – as if she was expecting their masked teacher to make an appearance any second. "W-we can't-"

"I won't tell sensei that you guys ate something," Naruto said as he pointed a finger at himself before he directed said finger to his two teammates. "And you don't tell sensei that I ate something. Deal?"

After a long moment of silence, with both of Naruto's teammates going over their own thoughts on the idea, Sakura was the one who broke first.

"Oh, alright," she sighed. "Deal." The only girl of Team 7 inspected the apple (to make sure that it wasn't rotten, didn't have a bug poking out of it, or made out of plastic) before she took a hesitant, tentative and small bite of the juicy red fruit. Sakura could have moaned at how good and absolutely _delicious_ it tasted before she took another – bigger – bite of the apple.

"Hn," grunted the Uchiha before he too took a – much smaller – bite out of his apple.

Naruto grinned. Though, it wasn't much and they were nowhere _near_ to the bond they had shared in the original timeline – and it didn't matter what the old Sasuke had said, Naruto knows that the teme _did_ care about their bond (the Uchiha's death had been proof of it) – it was a start.

XxX

Shikamaru sighed. Man, he _really_ needed a smoke right now.

Don't get him wrong. It's not like he's addicted to it or anything – heck, he doesn't even like the stuff – and he only smokes when he's _really_ upset or when there's a puzzle or a problem he couldn't solve – which was few and far between – but… Oh, what he wouldn't give for a stick.

Shikamaru groaned and gazed longingly at the box of cigarettes his sensei had just taken out to pop out another stick.

Speaking of his sesnsei, the man and Chouji was listening – or at least pretending that they were – to Ino rave about how unfair it was that 'Sasuke-kun' had to team up with 'Forehead-girl' and 'Konoha's Number One Idiot' and not with _her _and_ blah-blah-blah_.

Shikamaru snorted. If only she knew exactly what '_Konoha's Number One Idiot_' was going to be like in the future...

Shikamaru sighed – something that he has been doing a lot lately and has Naruto to blame for. But that was it, wasn't it? They _don't_ know. They don't remember. None of them do. Right now, it was just him, Naruto and Jiraiya-sama who held their memories from the original timeline – and Jiraiya-sama isn't even in Konoha anymore.

His teammates don't remember all of the missions they had gone through together. They don't remember the horrors they had faced and lived through – together. They don't remember the Chunin Exams, Sasuke's betrayal, Naruto's departure from Konoha, Asuma-sensei's death, Pein attack on their village, Madara Uchiha, the Fourth Shinobi World War...

_They _don't remember_._

But _he_ does.

And so does Naruto.

Naruto had given them a second chance. A chance to do things over and make things right.

Sure, everything still hurts. It hurts to see his sensei alive and well once more like nothing had happened. It hurts to see his two teammates so young and naïve. Ignorant to the horrors they were going to face in the near future. It hurts that they don't remember all of the things they had been through together as Ino-Shika-Chou – a squad known to have some of the best teamwork in the history of Konoha – and together with their friends as the legendary Konoha 11 – arguably – Konoha's most powerful generation of shinobi.

But they're _alive_. And honestly, that was more than Shikamaru could ever ask for.

The Nara boy's lips lifted to a small smile as he looked at the yelling Ino, his smoking sensei and his big-boned best friend (who hadn't stopped eating since the beginning of the team meeting). This was his_ team_. His _friends_.

And besides, it's not like they were going to forget _forever_. Naruot did say that everyone was going to get their memories back in a couple of years, didn't he?

Speaking of the troublesome blond idiot...

Shikamaru sighed – _again._

Though it was a good thing that everyone else was alive again – a _very_ good thing – but for it to happen at the price of his friend's soul... Is it all really worth it? To have his team back, but to lose a friend in return? And why Naruto? Why can't the Shinigami ask for something – _someone_ – else?

But...Naruto wouldn't want that, would he? That selfless moron wouldn't want someone else to take his place and even if the Shinigami _did_ want someone else – which, considering Naruto's significance and role in the history of the Shinobi World, was definitely _not_ going to happen – the blond would have just found some way to replace that person with himself. The guy cared too much about others and too little of himself. He had proven that during the Fourth War by sending clones to every battlefield and almost got himself killed from chakra exhaustion.

How troublesome.

Thinking of Naruto made the Nara boy think of the other members of Team 7. Shikamaru still wasn't sure whether not returning Kakashi's memories was a good idea. And though Sakura would be a big help to them, they still couldn't really be sure how she would react. And of course there was Yamato-taichou and that troublesome Sai. And they couldn't forget about Sasuke.

Shikamaru had meant every word he had said at the village gates. He never really liked Sasuke much – never has and never will. But he was Naruto's friend. He was Naruto's reason to get stronger. The blond had done everything to get the Uchiha to come home – even going as far as to say that he would gladly die with the raven-haired boy after their final battle against each other. And for all Shikamaru knew, Naruto could even be doing all of _this _for Sasuke as well. To make sure that his teammate never leaves the village as he did the last time. They couldn't risk letting the Uchiha go traitor again, that was for sure.

But that's just Sasuke. They still haven't figured out what to do with their actual enemies yet. Orochimaru, Kabuto, Pein, Madara... And of course they still had to figure out how they were going to find the other Jinchuuriki and give them their memories back...

Shikamaru groaned. There was just so much to do and so little time to do it. How they got through all of this in the original timeline and still have time to goof off was a mystery to the Nara boy. What a pain...

_But_, Shikamaru thought as he stole a glance at the remaining members of Team 10. _The Chunin Exams were at least two months away and the Akatsuki wouldn't make their appearance until _after_ the Exams. And... Naruto's still alive. He's still here. We still have time to think of a way to keep his soul here before he defeats Madara and the Shinigami comes to collect his payment. There's no use worrying about things that haven't happened yet – and will probably _never_ happen if we play our cards right. We just need to be really careful. Take things slow and steady, hope for the best... _

Shikamaru looked up to the sky – which he remembered had been dyed red from the blood of their fallen comrades on his last day in his first life.

_...and prepare for the worst, _he silently finished in his head.

XxX

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura yelled furiously for the second time that morning – this time her voice was accompanied by Naruto's – slightly humored – one.

Sakura turned to said blond and hit him – _hard_ – as she said, "So were you!"

"Ow..." groaned Naruto as he rubbed on the growing bump on his head. "That hurt, 'ttebayo." Though, it was nothing compared to the punches the old-Sakura could throw – which had been known to put escaping hospital patients into long comas – it was still extremely painful.

"Well, you see," said a certain mask-wearing Jounin. "A black cat crossed my path, so I had to..." Kakashi's voice faltered at the fierce glare, annoyed scowl and dry stare sent to him by Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto respectively. The man coughed into his fist, regained some of his lost composure and said, "Alright, then. Let's move on."

He walked to the three stumps that had been placed nearby – something that Sakura had just noticed, Sasuke had chosen to ignore and Naruto stared sadly at – and placed a black alarm clock.

"Now," Kakashi began, "I have set the clock to go off at exactly 12pm." Then, he took out two silver bells which had a red string attached to each of them. "Today," Kakshi said to his two curious and one strange (Naruto was glaring at the two small bells like they had offended him somehow) students. "What you three are going to do is to try to get one of these bells from me." The silver-haired man jingled the bells lightly, to emphasize his words. "Whoever doesn't have a bell by noon," he continued. "Won't be allowed to eat lunch. Instead," he pointed to the three stumps, "I'm going to tie you up there and eat lunch in front of you."

Sakura and Sasuke glowered (_So, that's why he told us not to eat breakfast_, they both thought,) and Naruto just heaved an exasperated sigh.

The only girl in their team then glanced at the tree where Naruto had buried the remains of the apples they had just eaten ("I'm destroying the evidence," he had said when she had asked the orange-and-black wearing boy what he was doing.) and made a silent promise to be nicer to the blond idiot from now on.

"But, wait," Sakura said in sudden realization. "Why are there only two bells?" the kunoichi asked.

"Well," Kakashi said as his only visible eye curved up into a slight U-shape. "At least _one_ of you has to get tied up, right?" Then, he looked at the three Genin individually before continuing. "That person will be the one to fail the exam since he or she had also failed to complete the mission. And he – or she – will be sent back to the academy with the other drop-outs."

All three of them grew serious. Even Naruto, though he had – unknown to the others – taken the same test at least twice in his original timeline and passed on both occasions. The blond was silently thinking of a plan on how to get his two teammates to trust him, put their differences with each other aside and work together. Or at least plan a way of making himself look cool in front of them and _not_ get himself tied up and humiliated like the first time.

"It might be just one of you," the Jounin said – unaware of his sensei's only kid's planning. "Or all three."

Sasuke's face grew solemn. He had gone too far, he was not going to get sent back to the academy just because he couldn't a stupid bell from some freaky one-eyed Jounin. _I have to pass_, the boy thought with determination. _The other two could fail for all I care, but I won't. I'll pass this test, get this man to train me and then... finally..._

_"My foolish brother… If you want to kill me… curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life… Run away… run away… and cling to your pitiful life!"_ (A/N: Taken directly from Narutopedia.)

Naruto scowled at the heavy and dark auras – mostly from Sasuke – which felt ten times worse to him because of his hypersensitivity to negative emotions. He sighed. _There's so much 's almost suffocating me, 'ttebayo._

"You are allowed use you weapons," said Kakashi. "Be warned, you have no chance of even coming close to one of these bells unless you come at me with the intent to kill." He fisted the two bells and started tying them to his belt.

"But, that's too dangerous, sensei!" cried the pink-haired girl.

"Sakura-chan's right, dattebayo," Naruto agreed. If he fought Kakashi with the intent to kill, he wasn't sure if anyone within five miles of the fight would be able to survive. (This was something his friends had to learn – the _hard_ way – and have since then made sure to put _a lot_ of distance between themselves and him when he was fighting an enemy that would take more than just the normal incomplete Rasengan to take out.) "You couldn't even dodge a chalkboard eraser," added the Jinchuuriki.

"In society, those who don't have many abilities tend to complain more," shot the Jounin. "So, please just ignore the dobe."

Naruto scowled. _So much for avoiding _that _nickname._

"We're going to start after I say, 'start'." He looked on as the three pre-teens tensed and their face grow serious with determination.

"Ready... Start!"

With that, two f the three Genin dissapeared.

XxX

"Is there something you'd like to ask me, Iruka?" the Sandaime said to the scarred Chunin sitting in front of him. "I'm sure you didn't invite me here just so you could have tea with me?"

In truth, Sarutobi already knew what it was that Iruka wanted to ask him. He had almost anticipated it actually. With how much the man cares for his knuckle headed student, this little meeting he had called for was of no surprise to the Hokage.

"I just wanted to know," said the teacher. "What kind of teacher is the Jounin Naruto and Team 7 had been assigned to, that's all."

_Ah_, thought the Sandaime. _Just as I suspected._ The old man absentmindedly wondered if Minato or Kushina would have showed the same concern and sense of protectiveness over their son had the two of them still been here. But, Kakashi had been Minato's student once, so he probably wouldn't have worried himself too much. And Kushina would have just hung the threat of castration over the poor silver-haired Jounin if he failed her one and only child.

"You mean, Kakashi?" the Sandaime asked. "Does it worry you?"

"It's just," Iruka said almost hesitantly. "I heard this slightly disturbing rumor of him and..." the man's voice faltered near the end.

The Sandaime guessed that Iruka was either talking about the Jounin's tastes in literature or...

The old man took out a small book and showed it to Iruka.

"What is this?" the teacher asked.

"It is the list of Genin Kakashi had either passed or failed since I had made him a Jounin Instructor," he said as he flipped the book to the right page.

Iruka's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the presence of the book – it had been as if the Sandaime knew what it was he was going to ask about – and gingerly lifted it from the table. Honestly, Iruka had to admit that he was almost afraid of what it might say. This man could have been the teacher to every Nuke-nin from Konoha for all he knew. Or maybe all of his students had at some point in time died a mysterious death before any of them even reached the rank of Chunin. Or maybe he's a pervert who likes to molest his students. Or...

Iruka gasped. "Th-This is... No way!" To say that the brown-haired man was shocked was an understatement.

"Kakashi's test might be a little harder than the one's most Jounin would give to fresh-out-of-the-academy Genin," stated the old Hokage.

"But, Hokage-sama," Iruka said, his voice raised slightly. "This is just ridiculous. _None_ of the Genins he had been in charge of had passed his test!"

"It is true. Kakashi had never passed a single team before. All of them had failed," the old man said, adding more to Iruka's worry. _But_, he silently added. _If the things Naruto had said was true. Then, I'm sure that we have absolutely nothing to worry about._

XxX

_A basic skill for a shinobi is to hide one's presence,_ Kakashi thought. His visible eye was half lidded and his hands were in his pockets in a laid-back and casual manner. Though, he could still sense where two of his students were – Sasuke was somewhere in a tree to his right and Sakura was hiding in a bush about ten feet from the Rookie of the Year – it was still a pretty good effort. But, that was more than what he could say about a certain blond knucklehead. "So, what exactly is it that you're trying to do, Naruto?" he asked the previously mentioned blond knucklehead.

The blond knucklehead was standing in front of Kakashi with his arms crossed and a big shit-eating grin on his scarred face, looking unbelievably smug. "C'mon, sensei! Let's have a match! Just you and me, one on one!"

Kakashi looked quiet disappointed and confused yet still somehow managed to keep his impassive and bored aura.

Somewhere in a nearby tree, Sasuke grumbled, "What an idiot."

"I have to admit," Kakashi drawled. "I've met a lot of weird people in my time." It was impossible not to with someone like Maito Gai as your so called 'eternal rival'. "But, you might just take the cake." But, then again, knowing who the kid's mother was, Kakashi assumed that he shouldn't be too surprised.

"What's weird is your hair, 'ttebayo!" Naruto yelled in response. "I mean, it's just standing up like that!" the seventeen-year-old Genin in a twelve-year-old body made up and down motions with his hands in the air above his head for added effect. "How the hell do you do that anyway? It looks almost as dumb as Sasuke-teme's duck-butt hair!"

"Usaratonkachi," Sasuke growled in annoyance.

Naruto then extended a kunai from the hidden kunai mechanism (A/N: Yes, that is what it's called, dear younger cousin of mine who I know is reading this. I checked.) in his sleeve and immediately charged at the masked Jounin.

It was only a moment later when the hand – which was still holding the kunai – aimed the sharp end of the shinobi weapon at the back of its owner's head, with Kakashi holding both the hand and the owner in place.

To those who were watching, it seemed as if it all had happened in less than a second.

"Don't get so hasty," Kakashi chided with his visible eye curved upwards to show his smile.

_No way…_ Sakura thought with wide-eyed amazement. _I didn't even see him move._

_So, this is the true power of a Jounin_, Sasuke thought, still hidden from view.

Naruto on the other hand was just as shocked as his fellow Genin were. You could even say that he was horrified. That was impossible. Kakashi couldn't have snuck up on him like that. With how much his senses had improved from his years of training and experience, Naruto should have seen it coming. And even if he didn't his natural instincts and reflexes would have helped him to easily dodge the Jounin and given him enough time to make a counterattack.

Then, his blue eyes widened in realization. But, that was it, wasn't it? His _old_ body had the muscle and experience necessary for it, but… _this_ body _didn't_. _This_ was the body of a twelve-year-old troublemaker who barely knew the difference between a shinobi from Suna and Iwa. _This_ body hadn't gone through the strain his old one had from years of almost-non-stop training. _This_ body didn't have the muscles he had developed from weeks of speed training with Rock Lee during the Fourth Shinobi World War in preparation of facing two very powerful and dangerous Sharingan users. _This _wasn't the body he had been so used to over the years; it was the weak chibi version of his old one!

Naruto thought he had understood what Kurama had meant when the Bijuu had said that he would need to train hard and relearn everything from scratch, but this… This was just pathetic, dattebayo! Had he really been this weak as a kid? How had he survived for as long as he did?

The blond felt the shuriken at the back of his head move closer to his skull and realized that he had spaced out. He huffed in agitation. He was in the middle of a fight here. There was no time to think about this. There was no way around it. He'd have to figure this out later. Kakashi was right, he _shouldn't_ be so hasty. He'll just talk to Shikamaru about this _after_ the test.

Naruto twisted his body almost painfully and – with the firm hold his sensei has on him helping very much – he jumped over the Jounin's head and landed behind him, effectively making Kakashi relinquish his hold on his hands lest he were to follow Naruto's movements and fall flat on his back.

With the kunai still in hand, Naruto immediately charged after the Jounin once more. he stabbed the kunai at the man left and right. Aiming for the man's openings and – if there weren't any – made a few opening's himself until Kakahsi was forced to take out a kunai as well in order to defend himself in fear of walking out of the fight with holes all over his body.

Naruto smirked at the barely concealed surprise on the Jounin's face and gave a cry of success when he forced thekunai out of his sensei's hands and into the nearby river.

Kakashi, seeing Naruto pause in the fight, placed a hand into the pouch in his belt and said in a bored tone, "Ninja Arts, Lesson One: Taijutsu." He bored his dark eye at Naruto before continuing. "According to your teachers at the academy, taijutsu is one of the things you were most horrible at."

_Dammit_, Naruto cursed in his mind. Even if the man seemed laid-back and casual now, even without the use of his ability, Naruto could still sense the slight suspicion in the Jounin's eye. Was that too much? Had he revealed himself already?

But, then Kakashi eye-smiled and the suspicion was shrugged off as it was never there in the first place. "Maa, but I guess they were wrong."

The silver-haired shinobi then proceeded to take out an orange book from his pouch with a picture of a man chasing a woman with boobs three sizes bigger than what her red dress was meant to carry and the title 'Icha Icha Paradise' written in bold on the cover.

_Wait… Is that…?_ thought Sakura incredulously form the bushes.

"What the…?" Sasuke muttered, just as unbelieving.

Naruto gave a slow chuckle. _That thing again,_ he thought exasperatedly. The Icha Icha Paradise series had been the second of the few things he hadn't missed after his Shishou's death in the original timeline. Having to edit and proofread the books had been the first.

"You're not seriously going to read that thing while we're fighting, 'ttebayo," he groaned. "Are you?" Though, he knew the answer himself already.

"Oh," Kakashi smiled as he opened the book to a certain page. "You seem to be quite familiar with this particular work of art, Naruto…"

_Calling that sorry excuse for literature a 'work of art' would like calling Deidara's weird exploding clay-animals 'mater-pieces', 'ttebayo_, the Fourth Hokage's son thought to himself. "My godfather's the author. How can I _not_ be?" he said as he sent a fierce glare to the small orange book, hoping to somehow suddenly develop a hidden doujutsu that could set fire to badly written porn. It didn't work.

"Oh?" he said and Naruto felt the suspicion slip in again before it disappeared just as it did before. But, unlike last time, the blond could sense small traces of it linger in his teacher's eye."I see…" the man said slowly.

Then, he straightened up and looked at Naruto with his usual bore expression. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he mocked slightly. "Come and get me."

"Ano sa, ano sa," Naruto said instead. "Aren't you going to put your book away first?"

"Why should I?" the Jounin asked as his one eye flickered to the book and he began reading. "I'm getting curious to what will happen next. You see the hero of the story, Jiro had successfully seduced the beautiful and sexy, Tsubasa into his bed and now they are-"

A kunai was thrown dangerously close to Kakashi's feet and he almost immediately stopped talking as he examined the weapon. He looked up to Naruto, who was looking at something somewhere to Kakashi's right warily. Kakshi followed the boy's gaze and saw a bush. Then, he remembered exactly who he had sensed hiding in said bush and paled slightly.

'_Shannaro!'_ screeched Inner Sakura. _'Finish that sentence! I dare ya!'_

"R-right… Anyway," the man said curtly, regaining his impassive composure. Though, not before taking two steps to the left and getting a little more space between him and the deadly bush. He turned his attention back to Naruto who – Kakashi noted – had done the exact same thing he did and had taken a few big steps away from the bush where the Jounin could sense the hot glare Sakura was sending him. "Don't worry about it. It's the same whether I read this or not."

_Huh. Underestimate me, would you?_ Naruto smirked. _Big mistake, 'ttebayo._ He charged once more. "You're going down!"

He attacked – after dropping his kunai – and punched Kakashi, but his attacked was almost immediately blocked. Without pause, the Genin followed his punch with a roundhouse kick – which Kakashi dodged – and another punch, but before his fist could make any contact, the Jounin disappeared.

"Huh?" the blond exclaimed in confusion.

_Wait a minute!_ Naruto thought in panic. _He's…!_

"Letting your opponent get behind you more than once," Kakashi reprimanded. "Maybe your old teachers were right after all. And I was the one who overestimated you."

The man was crouched behind the blue eyed boy with his hands curled together in a seal.

Sakura's green eyes widened in realization and fear for her teammate. _It's the seal of the tiger_.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he observed the man's stance. _That seal... It's mostly used for Katon based Jutsu._ Then, the Uchiha gritted his teeth as an unknown emotion shrouded his heart. _Is this guy serious? He could really _kill_ Naruto!_ The emotion Sasuke was currently feeling was known to most as protectiveness. He was feeling protective of Naruto. Unknown to him, the feeling came from the time he had spent together with the blond as a Konoha Genin in another timeline. Sasuke would have screamed had his pride not gotten in the way. But that didn't stop him from worrying. _What are you standing around for?_ the raven-haired boy demanded in his thoughts. _Run, you idiot!_

Sakura meanwhile had no such qualms or such an amount of pride. "Naruto, run! He's going to- Mmph! Um hmm!"

Sasuke was too worried with what was happening in front of him to pay much attention to Sakura. She wasn't in any danger. They're only threat was crouched right in front of him, ready to use a –most probably – deadly jutsu against his teammate. The pink-haired girl had most probably fallen on her face anyway.

"It's too late!" Kakshi exclaimed, his finger already taking their aim.

Naruto gasped.

"Konohagakure no Sato's Secret Taijutsu Technique: A Thousand Years of Pain!" The silver-haired man's hands shot up and into Naruto's butt. And Naruto… disappeared in a puff of smoke…?

_What?_ Sasuke thought with incredulity and slight anger that he had worried over the usaratonkachi for nothing. _Was that a clone? No. It was solid. But, then how did…?_

"Hmm." Kakashi murmured. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, huh?" _This must be the Forbidden Technique Iruka mentioned the boy had used to defeat Mizuki._

The man then looked up at the sky and eye-smiled. _He's only a Genin and he can already create a solid clone. You must really proud of him, huh sensei?_

XxX

Sakura gasped when she saw Kakashi – half-an-hour after his fight with Naruto's Kage Bunshin – standing in the middle of a clearing reading his orange perverted book.

"He's here," she murmured.

"You're looking the wrong way," the kunoichi heard a voice say from behind her. "Sakura."

The girl tensed before turning around and facing a familiar silver-haired one-eyed Jounin.

She screamed.

XxX

Without taking his eye off of his precious book, Kakashi murmured thoughtfully, "Maybe I overdid it a little," as he spared one uninterested glance at the unconscious pink-haired girl behind him.

He paused.

Then, "Nah." He started walking in the opposite direction and said in a bored tone, "One down and one MIA. Now, just one more to go."

As he headed for the direction her knew the third Genin to be in, Kakashi missed the smug grin spread across the previously-thought-to-be-unconscious pink-haired girl before she disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

XxX

_That was Sakura…_ Sasuke thought after he heard the scream.

"Ninja Arts Lesson Two: Genjutsu," announced a voice behind Sasuke. Sasuke turned around to see Kakashi casually leaning against a tree and was glad to note that _both_ bells were still with him and that neither Sakura nor Naruto had gotten their hands on any of the small bells yet.

Not that he had expected those two losers to be able to get anywhere close to them, anyway.

"Sakura fell for it easily," the masked Jounin continued.

"I'm not surprised," stated the Uchiha before his dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "But… I'm different from those two."

"Why don't you repeat those words _after_ you get a bell?" Kakashi drawled in a bored tone, his eyes still not leaving the orange book.

Sasuke – getting annoyed that the man wasn't taking him seriously – attacked.

XxX

_Meanwhile…_

"That way, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed as he and Sakura began running through the trees and moved toward the location where the blond had sensed Sasuke's annoyance – something that he was extremely familiar with as it was usually directed at _him_ – and anger.

Sakura – following Naruto from behind – asked him in a skeptical tone, "How can you tell? And how do I know that you're not just leading me to some trap you've come up with and not to where Sasuke-kun is?"

Sakura had been shocked when Naruto had pounced on her from behind and covered her mouth in an attempt to make her stay quiet when she was clearly seeing Naruto getting a poke in the ass by their weird one-eyed Jounin Instructor. It was later – when the Naruto who was with Kakashi 'poof'd out of existence – that she realized that the Naruto she had seen fighting had been a Bunshin meant as a decoy to distract the Jounin as he looked for her.

Then, she realized that it must have been a clone who asked Iruka-sensei for the scrolls while the _real_ Naruto talked to her about becoming their team's Iryou-nin yesterday. But how exactly Naruto – the Dead Last who had failed the Academy genin Exams _three_ times – could create a solid clone was an absolute mystery to the kunoichi.

Then, the – hopefully – _real_ Naruto had set her aside and told her his ridiculous theory on how Kakshi-sensei's test was actually about teamwork and stuff and that they needed to find their last teammate and work together to get the bells.

At first, Sakura had been hesitant – Naruto was known to be an idiot, so any theory that comes out of his mouth had the most probability of being incorrect – but at the mention of working together with her Sasuke-kun, the kunoichi had warmed up to the idea almost immediately.

"That's just it, isn't it?" Naruto said an answer to the girl's last question."You _don't_ know. You'll just have to trust me on this, dattebayo." The boy made a sharp turn to the right and ducked under a low branch and Sakura had no choice but to follow the blond lest she wanted to lose him – her only lead to where her precious Sasuke-kun was.

It was only a few moments later that she realized he hadn't answered her first question.

XxX

"Teme, are you dead?" Naruto asked as he looked down at the glowering face of his teammate, who – by the way – only had his head sticking out from the ground.

Saskue glared at the orange clad blond. "Of course not, you idiot!"

Naruto snickered. How could he have missed this in the first timeline?

"Need any help?" he asked Sasuke when he saw the raven-haired boy start to squirm in the soil.

Sasuke glared at the grinning blond some more.

Naruto took out a kunai and began to help dig his once-best-friend out of the ground.

It was only a moment after Sasuke had managed to get himself out that another Naruto burst into the clearing with Sakura only two steps behind yelling out, "Sasuke-kun!"

And while Sakura was busy tackling Sasuke to the ground and the Uchiha was preoccupied with shoving the fangirl off of himself, the two Naruto's took the opportunity to converse with each other. "Hey there, Boss!" the Naruto who had come into the clearing with Sakura greeted his original. "I've found Sakura-chan, just like you asked."

"I can see that, 'ttebayo," Naruto said dryly. "Is the one we left at the logs still there?"

"Hmm…" the bunshin thought for a moment. "I think so. I didn't feel him disperse earlier, so maybe."

"Does sensei know?"

"Probably not." The clone shrugged.

"Okay, then." Naruto grinned and held his fist up. "Good work, 'ttebayo!"

"Thanks, boss!" the Naruto-clone mirrored his grin and the two bumped fists before it dispersed in a puff of smoke.

"What was that?" Sakura asked the blond as she stared at the spot where the shadow clone had disappeared. "How…?"

"_That_," Naruto grinned, "was my ticket to passing the exams."

"You can't make a normal bunshin," Sasuke said. "So, you made a solid one instead." _Even _I_ don't know how to do that!_ the raven-haired boy fumed. _So how can Naruto of all people…?_

"A normal bunshin uses too little chakra," Naruto explained. "My chakra reserves just aren't made for those kinds of jutsu, 'ttebayo."

"What-?" Sasuke began but was immediately cut off by the blond.

"Anyway," said Naruto quickly. "I think I've figured out the _real_ meaning of the test."

Sasuke huffed. "Which is?"

Naruto grinned. "It's teamwork, dattebayo!"

Sasuke grunted. "Hn. Now I _know_ you're an idiot."

"C'mon, teme," Naruto said, ignoring Sakura's glare at calling Sasuke a 'teme'. "_Think_ about it or a minute. The guy's a _Jounin_ and we're fresh-out-of-the-academy _Genin_. We obviously can't beat him by fighting him one on one, so we'll have to do it _together_."

Sasuke grunted once more. "I don't have time for this." He started walking away. "There's still some time left until noon. I'm going." He turned around and directed a cold glare at Naruto. "I'm going to get a bell _without_ your help." He began walking to the direction of the clearing with the three stumps in them and said without looking back, "Don't get in my way."

Naruto clenched his fists – furious that the Uchiha was turning his back on his comrades _again_ – and yelled, "Fine! If that's how you want it, then we'll see who can get a bell first!" at the retreating back of the Uchiha before he disappeared in a flash of yellow.

Sakura, of course – too busy on thinking that she had upset her idol – hadn't taken notice of Naruto's use of the Hiraishin no Jutsu instead chose to follow Sasuke instead.

XxX

As all of this was happening, the last Naruto-clone – who, all this while, had been disguised as the kunai the other clone had seemingly dropped during his fight with Kakashi – was feeling a sudden itch caused by the blade of grass that was tickling him where his nose must have been.

_I have to sneeze, dattebayo! _he thought urgently. _No! I gotta hold it in and wait for the boss to come back!_ It was then that he felt the other clone – the one who had been sent to find Sakura – disperse and the memories of the dismissed clone flooded into him._ Oh no… _the bunshin mentally groaned. _The boss still hasn't convinced Sasuke-teme to work together with him and Sakura-chan. Dattebayo! I really have to… have to… hafta..._

"Achoo!"

"A sneezing kunai…" the clone heard a voice say slowly.

_Oh no!_ Said sneezing kunai panicked. _My cover's blown!_

The shadow clone made a split second decision and transformed back into Naruto. Not a moment later, the clone sent a couple of shuriken at the direction he knew the voice had come from and leapt back to put some distance between himself and the speaker.

When the clone looked up, he saw Kakashi – with his fingers inside the holes of the two shuriken the Naruto-clone had thrown earlier – standing there in his usual laid-back manner.

"So, this is where you've been hiding, eh Naruto?" he said as he stared down at the crouching clone passively. "Or are you just another one of his clones?"

"Er…" the clone hesitated. Should he answer the question? Should he lie to the Jounin and tell him that he was the original? He didn't know what to do! This wasn't part of the plan! The plan was for him to stay on the ground as an innocent little kunai a clumsy Genin had dropped until the boss and the others come. And while they distracted Kakashi and fought the man, he would sneakily turn back into his real form and snatch the bells from right under the silver-haired man's nose. This was not how things were supposed to turn out! "Is that a rhetorical question?"

The man sighed before he lifted a lazily lidded eye at the Naruto-look-a-like in front of him. "It doesn't matter. Whether you're the real deal or not, you're still Naruto." Then, the man did his infamous eye-smile. "And I can still beat you."

The clone's eye-brow twitched with annoyance. This guy was making fun of him. He didn't care whether this freak was the boss's sensei or not! He was going _down_!

"I'll show you!" the clone yelled. "You're the one who's gonna get beaten, 'ttebayo!"

The clone took out a few kunai and aimed them at the one-eyed teacher. Kakashi easily dodged the projectiles and let them sail harmlessly over hi had and embed themselves into a tree that was standing behind him. The Jounin took out the volume of Icha Icha Paradise and continued from where he had reading before his little scuffle with Sasuke.

Kakashi gave a small hum of confusion when he heard a faint sizzling noise come from behind him before he turned around to face the tree where the three kunai the clone had thrown earlier had landed. His eyes widened lightly at the sight of three white tags wrapped around each of said kunai.

The silver-haired man's visible eye widened slightly before he leapt back to put some distance between him and the tree. The tree exploded into a thousand pieces – with the amount of explosive tags the blond had placed there earlier, Kakashi wasn't surprised – and he was forced to cover his face with his arm to protect his only working eye from the splintered remains of the tree. Though a few of the wooden projectiles did manage to scratch him in a couple of places – and one particularly thick splinter had somehow dug itself into his thigh – he was relatively unharmed.

When Kakashi brought his arm down, he realized – too late – that the explosion had caused him to momentarily take his eyes off of his twelve-year-old opponent and that the blond boy he had been fighting was no where in sight.

"How very…" the man mused out loud as he straightened his back and placed his book back I his pouch. "…unpredictable," he finished. _The boy might have inherited Kushina-nee-san's smarts – or lack of thereof – in the academics department,_ he thought._ But it seems that he had also gotten his father's smarts on the battlefield._

"He's better than I thought," the silver-haired man said before disappearing from the explosion sight. He reappeared in a tree, a few feet from where he was before, behind a surprised Naruto. "But unfortunately, it's still not good enough to beat me."

He kicked the boy out of the tree...only to have him change into a child sized stump in mid-air.

_Kawarimi?_ Kakashi took a moment to hold down the pride he felt for his sensei's son before he scanned the area for the blond pre-teen. _Where could he be hiding...?_

As if the boy could hear his thoughts, a voice answered from above, "I'm down here, dattebayo!"

Does this kid seriously believe that he would fall for that old trick? He was a Jounin for crying out loud! There was absolutely no way he would-

Kakashi looked up as his thoughts complained about being looked down on by a mere Genin, just as two shuriken were thrown at where his head would have been had he not moved said appendage to the direction where his student's voice had come from.

_What? _Kakashi thought in confusion as he tossed himself out of the tree and into the clearing where the exploding tree had been. Once he got himself up-right, he looked ahead to see Naruto walking calmly out of the tree-line with a huge smirk on his face.

"How?" Kakashi asked, finding no need to elaborate the question.

"Fuuinjutsu!" the clone chirped happily as he pointed towards the top of the tree where a palm-sized piece of paper could be seen – stuck in between a couple of high branches – with a victorious grin on his face.

Naruto had gotten the idea when Kiba had used the I-say-I'm-over-here-when-I'm-actually-over-there trick on him during a spar they had once. The seals were simple enough to make – it was designed record his voice and then project it after a certain amount of time. Though, it wasn't too useful – not for Naruto at least, since he had the Kage Bunshin technique – it was great for confusing opponents and it was a very cunning trick. And Naruto just loves to be tricky and sly.

"Hmm," Kakashi grunted in slight displesure at being tricked so easily. _Being the son and godson of two of Konoha's greatest Fuuinjutsu Masters and part of the destroyed Uzumaki clan, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised._

Suddenly, there was a familiar flash of yellow – Kakashi gasped and he had to hold himself back from calling out his dead sensei's name – and a second Naruto appeared. His face was set in a fierce scowl before he saw the annoyed look on Kakashi's face and the splintered remains of what had once been a tree and it quickly morphed into confusion.

"Ano sa ano sa," he asked the first Naruto who was scanning the surrounding trees as if looking for something. "Were you two fighting?"

"Yeah. There was an... unexpected change in palns, 'ttebayo," the clone said quickly – with a slight amount of embarrassment – to his original. "Where are the others, boss?"

The scowl came back and the second Naruto huffed in annoyance. "The teme is an Uchiha, said he doesn't need our help and – naturally – Sakura-chan followed his lead and left me in the dust."

"You asked for their help?" Kakashi asked the – obviously – original Naruto. As he slipped back into his usual I-couldn't-care-less self. "Why?"

"It was obvious that none of us can beat you alone, 'ttebayo," the original answered. "So, the only thing left for us to do is to work together."

_Hmm... So he's figured it out, huh._ Kakashi mused. "So, how did you find the others? They had both hid themselves very well. You would have to be some kind of tracker nin to be able to find the two of them. And I already knocked out Sakura with my genjutsu. She would have only been able to wake up on her own."

"Actually," Naruto chuckled as he rubbed at the back of hi head. "That was my clone you _seemingly_ knocked out. My clone had already gotten Sakura-chan out of there way before you found her while I went out looking for Sasuke-teme." Then, he gave the one-eyed man a face-splitting grin. "And there's _no way_ I'm going to tell you how I found them, dattebayo! At least, not until _after_ I've gotten a bell form you!"

"Oh," Kakashi lifted a silver brow. "And how do you suppose you are going to do that?"

"Like this!" both Naruto and his clone yelled gleefully as they crossed the index and middle fingers from both of their hands in the form of the Clone Seal. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The clearing was immediately filled with nearly a thousand of orange-clad Genin. Somewhere from a few feet away, Kaka shi heard the alarm clock ring – signaling that it was already noon and that the Genins' time was up – but he was too in awe of the amount of power Naruto was showing, he didn't give it much notice. Any normal Genin would have exhausted his chakra reserves if he tried to make even one shadow clone. But Naruto had created thousands and he doesn't look even slightly exhausted.

All of the Naruto were holding shuriken and with a cry of, "Shihouhappou Shuriken! (A/N: It means All Direction Shuriken. Naruto really has this technique. If you don't believe me, you can look it up on Narutopedia.)" the weapons were launched straight at Kakashi.

The Jounin suddenly understood how the technique had gotten its name. There were shuriken coming at him from every direction – the fact that they were all thrown at once only made matters worse. Avoiding all of them would be difficult – _impossible_ even! And with him moving all of his attention on the flying weapons, Naruto could easily find himself a blind spot and attack Kakashi from there. At first glance, the technique would seem to be a desperate move when in truth, the attack was nothing short of brilliant – with its hidden objective of driving the target into a predicament and forcing him to be open to other attacks.

_And this kid is the year's Dead Last?_

Kakashi made a quick decision and used Kawarimi to replace himself with the log the clone from earlier had used, though it wasn't before he gained a handful of cuts here and there and a couple of shuriken stuck to his back – luckily they didn't penetrate his thick Jounin vest. Once he had gotten a safe distance between him and the many Narutos, he immediately turned to face them with body posed for battle. He had learned his lesson of underestimating the boy and he was not so eager to repeating the same mistake.

But instaed of attacking like Kakahsi had thought they would, almost all the of the Narutos – and the shurikens on his back – 'poof'd out of existence. The last Naruto – most probably the original – had a small silver bell in his hand, but he wasn't smiling and was instead frowning at the alarm clock Kakashi had brought in earlier.

"So close," the boy muttered.

Kakashi looked down at his belt and saw only _one_ bell and not two. The last bell was seen hanging precariously on a single thread that was about as thick as the threads a spider spun its web with. One of the shuriken from his earlier attack must have managed to cut the first bell off before he escaped.

Kakashi eye-smiled. _Not bad._

XxX

While the other two had been fighting, the remaining members of Team 7 were...

"Sasuke-kun, are you still going to go after the bells?" Sakura asked as she walked a few steps behind the person she admired.

"I was able to touch it a while ago," he said without turning to look at the pink-haired girl. "I'll get it next time."

"Really?" Sakura gasped in amazement as her heart beat grew faster. "Sasuke-kun, you're so cool!"

Meanwhile...

'_Shannaro!_' yelled Inner Sakura as she pulled at her hair in frustration. '_I haven't even gotten close to one of those damn things! At this rate, I'm going to get separated from Sasuke-kun for sure!_'

"Hey, Sasuke-kun..." Saukura said a little hesitantly. "Since we have only a little time left before noon, why don't we just give up for now and try harder next time...?"

The Uchiha – finally – turned around and gave his teammate a sharp glare. Sakura took an instinctive step backwards. Though she would never admit it, the malice and venom in the boy's dark eyes had scared her a little. She knew that Sasuke thought of her and the other girls as annoying – and he had glared at each of them at least once – but he had never looked at them like _that_ before. But what scared her more was how familiar those dark eyes were. Like from a long forgotten dream... where a pair of hate-filled red orbs followed her wherever she went...

"_I'll bring him back! For sure!"_

_Huh? Thought Sakura with confusion. Where had that come from?_

Sasuke remained silent. His thought filled with the events of _that_ night... and those horrifying red eyes... Then, "Only I can kill that man."

"What...?" Sakura asked softly, afraid of how Sasuke might react.

"He..." Sasuke's fists clenched. "He made me cry that night..." (A/N: Sorry about this. I just can't help but remember the double meaning my yaoi loving cousing had pointed out behind that sentence. On with the story!)

"He did...?" Sakura asked.

"My..." Sasuke grew silent after that.

"What is it?" Sakura asked once she had found her voice again. "Sasuke-kun, who are you talking about?"

"I am an avenger," Sasuke announced. "My only goal is to become stronger than him. I don't have time to wait for 'next time'."

Sakura gave a silent gasp as she remembered the words Sasuke had said yesterday on the Academy roof.

_Also... I have an ambition... to kill a certain man..._

They heard the alarm clock ring as noon had come.

"Damnit," Sasuke growled. "I wasted too much time talking with you."

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura called softly – knowing that Sasuke couldn't hear her – and watched in silence as Sasuke began walking back to where the three wooden stumps had been.

XxX

Three stomachs growled furiously.

This time, it was Sakura who was tied up to a post between her two teammates and Naruto who was sitting down next to her.

_This sucks, 'ttebayo..._ Even knowing about the test in advance, our favorite blond idiot hadn't had anything but a single apple to eat since morning because he felt guilty for having a full breakfast when his friends had followed Kakashi's orders and skipped breakfast. He promised himself that the next time he was forced back into the past, he would remember to eat something before facing off a certain one-eyed silver-haired Jounin.

Speaking of his favorite – and _only_ – masked teacher... "That sound I just heard must have either been an avalanche happening somewhere in Yuki no Kuni or the loud stomachs of three hungry Genin." he said cheekily, the cuts and bruises Naruto and his clones had given the man earlier standing out like a clown at a funeral. "You guys must be hungry."

All three of them gave him each of their own versions of the Glare of Death.

"By the way," he said, showing no visible reaction to the Killing Intent sent towards him. "About the results of this test..."

He paused to gauge their reactions.

Sasuke's expression remained impassive, but there was a still a glint of anticipation in his black eyes.

Sakura looked both nervous and hopeful.

Naruto looked... Well, Kakashi wasn't too sure. Something between familiarity and resignation...?

"None of you need to return to the Academy."

Sakuran smiled widely. _'Love prevails, shannaro!'_

Sasuke gave a smug and self-satisfied smirk.

Naruto sighed inwardly. _Here it comes..._

"Yeah, you three..." Kakashi said slowly. "...should quit being ninjas!"

Sakura paled.

Sasuke looked murderous.

Naruto thought, _And there it is._

"Quit being ninjas!" Surprisingly, it was Sakura who had yelled at the masked man. "What does that mean? So, we couldn't get a bell, but do you say that we should quit?"

"Actually..." Kakashi corrected. "Naruto did – technically – get a bell."

"What?" the kunoichi screeched as she stared – wide-eyed – at the supposed idiot of their group.

Sasuke's reaction was as similar as Sakura's. _That dobe... but how...?_

Naruto meanwhile was sarcastically thanking his teacher in his thoughts for placing him in the spotlight.

Thankfully, the man decided to take the light off of Naruto and back onto himself.

"But he was too late. It was already noon by the time the bell reached his hand. And why? Because you three are just brats who don't deserve to be ninjas. _That's_ why."

Sasuke saw red.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out.

Sasuke had sprung up to Kakashi, his hand out stretched with a kunai clenched in it.

But Kakshi saw it coming form a mile away.

In less than a second, he had the Uchiha struggling under his feet with a loathsome fire burning in his dark eyes.

"Like I said," the man said as he casually sat on the trapped boy. "You guys are nothing but brats."

"Don't step on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed with all her might.

Naruto swore he had gone partially deaf after that particularly loud proclamation.

Kakshi huffed. "Do you kids really think that the life of a shinobi is so easy?"

he looked down at his captive and asked, "Why do you think we are broken into groups of three the moment we are given our hitai-ates?" When Sasuke didn't answer, he pressed the foot that was placed on the boy's head harder. "C'mon, _Sasuke-kun_," he mocked. "The answer's simple, really. Why it's so simple that even an _idiot_ like Naruto-" he ignored Naruto's dignified exclamation of 'Hey!' "-could figure it out."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Sakura gasped. "No way. It's..."

"That's right. The answer is..." Kakashi said as dramatically as he possibly could. "...teamwork!"

Naruto nearly choked on the shock he sensed in the air. _I don't think this can get any more dramatic than it already is, 'ttebayo._

"You're teammate tried to tell you that," Kakshi continued. "But you ignored his words and let your pride and you emotions get in the way. And now, it's too late for you. If the three of you had come at me all at once, then you would have had a chance of getting a bell from me before the alarm went off. Well, that's your loss, I guess."

"H-Hold on!" Sakura exclaimed desperately. "How could we have known to use teamwork if there are only _two bells_? If the three of us had gone for it together, one of us would have been left to take the bullet for the others. We would have just fought _against_ each other instead._"_

"Of course," said the silver-haired Jounin. "The test was deigned to put the three of you against each other. We want shinobi who can prioritize teamwork and the well-being of others before themselves. And you were all pathetic. Sakura!" he called.

The girl brought her attention from the still struggling Sasuke to the Jounin.

"You cared more about Sasuke than Naruto, who had helped you find your crush and saved you from getting attacked and knocked unconscious by me when he brought you away from your hiding place and replaced you with one of his clones."

Sakura's cheeks colored themselves in a bright red, both in shame and embarrassment at her crush on Sasuke being called on by a teacher.

"Naruto! Even after knwoing the true objestive of my test, in the end, you still went after me on your own. And – before you ask – no, teamwork between you and your Kage Bunshin does _not_ count."

Naruto looked down, ashamed that he had gotten his emotions at the pride Sasuke had shown earlier and Sakura's abandonment – which, by the way, he should neither be surprised or resentful about – control him like that, before he mumbled lowly under his breath, "I wasn't going to ask you anything, 'ttebayo..."

"And _you_," he said to the last Genin. "You, Sasuke, only assumed that the others would be nothing but a burden to you and tried to do everything by yourself."

He looked up to address the others as well. "Even the most difficult missions are done in groups. While it is true that ninjas need well-developed individual abilities, but it is teamwork and how well you can work with your teammates that will be your most valuable asset in the end. An individual action that disrupts the team's rhythm will end up in the danger and – usually – the death of your teammates. For example..."

He slowly took out a kunai from his back pouch and held it to Sasuke's throat. "Naruto! Kill Sakura or Sasuke is going to die!"

Sakura was horrified. She would swear that she felt the bones in her neck pop as her eyes kept moving from her still sitting teammate to her childhood crush and back again.

"Are you willing to end the life of one comrade over another?"

Naruto remained silent. Then, "There is no choice."

XxX

Recommended fic of the chapter: Doomed to Repeat by Fiachra Ochiern – a Naruto Fanfic


	4. Chapter 4 Suspicions Arise!

A/N: *Bows head in shame and knees on the floor to beg for forgiveness* Uwa! I'm sorry! So so so sorry! I wanted to update the next chapter sometime mid-August (_Really_, I did!), but y little brother messed with my computer and… and… the next thing I knew… the fourth chapter – the one that I worked on for _weeks_ – was… it was _GONE!_ *Cries pitifully* And then… *sob*… and then… PMR (that's an exam that those in my country take very seriously) was getting nearer… And my mom took away my computer privileges… and… I'm sorry! Please, FORGIVE ME!

Anyway… *Wipes away tears* I'm sure that you've all had enough of this author's worthless ramblings so, for the next order of business, appreciation showing time!

To imsabbel, elyzmaki, AyameRose, MonlightDoom, DarkFoxKit, Sanz0gril, MakingLuck101, Allyieh, NX-Loveless-XN, RedRangerBelt, Kitsu3, Lazyman12, Souseiki no Tasogare, Bright26, Kid'sDarkWolf, Orexisgrimm, EmiTenshi, Shiekah Tetra, esmina, 69AnimeFreak69, Freedsama, dimensiontietraveler: Oh my god! I think I'm going to dry again! (In case you haven't noticed, I get extremely emotional when my writing is involved.) I _LOVE_ you all so much! I think I might just pull an _Izaya_ and say that I love all humans! Oh, your reviews, comments, criticism and advice had given me the drive to do well for PMR – so that my mom would give me the computer back and I could get to writing as soon as possible – and to finish the fourth chapter I barely two weeks! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you and…. I just can't seem to thank you guys _enough_! I really appreciate it that you guys could find the time to review and stuff and I'm just _so_ happy and… and… *cries again* BUWAAAH!

To diesiontimetraveler: Aw… Naruto would never do that! He and Sakura are best friends!

To esmina: Thank you! I promise to try to keep the arrogance to a minimum.

To EmiTenshi: Oh, the memories idea, I kinda copied from a couple of other fanfics (but I can't seem to remember which ones). And yes, there will be suspicion. Mostly from Kakashi. I like suspicious!Kakashi! As for Kai's fic! Well, there aren't that many chapters yet, but I can tell that Savior is gonna be AWESOME! And the bell test… well, I made it long only 'coz I _really_ liked that episode! It's one of my favorites!

To Kitsu3: Oh no! _Oh_ _no_~! I didn't realize that I was using more than one tense! Thanks for the warning! As for the beta thing… well, this is kinda my first time of fanfiction (I'm using my cousin's account since I'm too lazy to make one of my own.) And I don't really know how that beta thing works… or what a beta _is_ so… yeah, I suck… Do you think you can help me with that? And you're right. It is tempting. But don't worry, the other chapters don't have as much A/N's as the last one. That one just had a lot of them 'coz I really like the bell test scene, so I kinda got carried away when I wrote it.

To anonymous (Guest who reviewed on 7/4/12): Thanks for that recommendation! Anyway, I really appreciate your comment _a lot!_ I like how honest you were and You're right, most of the timetravel!fics' bell tests are kinda boring (but don't tell anyone I said that) and I admit that mine was pretty boring as well. I didn't want to give Kakashi his memories back only because I think that suspicious!Kakashi is _so_ much fun to mess with! Hm… I'll think about making Naruto friends with Anko, Gnema and the others, but I make no promises since I don't really know their characters very well. But I'll try my best! I've already got an idea of how to make the Wave County mission more interesting, but I'm not telling you! Nyaaa~! And about the Hiraishin stuff, well, I didn't want _everyone_ to know of Naruto's relation to Minato too soon – because I'm not really sure myself how everyone will react if they did – so I thought that if he used Hiraishin, but not with the kunai – because the Yellow Flash was easier to recognize _because_ of those kunai – then it would seem… y'know, less like Naruto was just following his dad's shadow. He's Naruto! He has his own way of doing stuff! And thanks for saying all of that nice stuff about my fic! It really brought a smile to my face!

To MoonlightDoom: Aw… you make me blush! Honestly, when you reviewed and I saw a picture of Obito on your account, I could actually imagine him talking to me in you reviews! The ay you talk, kinda reminds me of him for some strange reason… But don't take me the wrong way! I like Obito! He's funny – even if he did grow up to become one psychotic son of a bitch (Tobi)… And I'm glad that you like my fic, it really means a lot to me!

To AyameRose: Oh wow! I can imagine Naruto doing that to! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

To imsabel: Aha! Shika is AWESOME! I can definitely agree with you on that! Well, I hope that you like this chapter better than the last! Thanks for your reviews! I appreciate it!

Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it? And the impossible is all that Uzumaki Naruto has ever done and – most likely – _has_ done once more.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_. If I did, then I'd give Team 8 more screen time!

P.S: To those who wanted to know, the pairing of my fic is NaruHina. Though there are other pairings, I'm making that my main! But try not to get too disappointed 'coz I'm not a very romantic-ish person (I'm asexual) so romance isn't going to play a very big art in my fic.

So, there ya have it! Enjoy!

_Nami._

XxX

**Rewind, Relive, Return**

CHAPTER 4 – _To Change the Course of Fate and Destiny... Suspicions Arise!_

XxX

"There is no choice," Naruto said firmly.

"Oh?" Admittedly, Kakashi wasn't too surprised at the blond's answer. Almost everyone in the village knew of the Jinchuuriki's crush on the pink-haired girl and of his undying hatred of Konoha's last Uchiha. It would make sense that he would choose the girl over his other teammate.

Sasuke and Sakura were having thoughts similar to the one-eyed Jounin. Next, Naruto would say that he would choose Sakura-chan's life over Sasuke-teme's any day.

Sakura sighed. And to think that just yesterday she thought that Naruto had finally gotten over his hopeless crush over her. Guess she was wrong.

Naruto smirked. The gleam in his blue eyes telling his audience that he knew exactly what they were thinking.

"I'll just have to save them _both_," Naruto declared.

Three pairs of eyes widened. The disbelief that crossed their faces made it seem obvious that they had most definitely not been expecting that.

"I don't exactly know how," the blond admitted as he crossed his arms and legs and narrowed his eyes in his usual 'thinking pose'. "But I'm sure that I can think of something, dattebayo. And when I do, then you'd better watch your back, sensei," he grinned wickedly at the shocked silver-haired man. "I'm warning you. I don't forgive those who threaten my village or my friends so easily, y'know." As if to emphasize just how serious he was, Naruto took out a kunai and glared warningly at the Jounin.

_He cares too much for others and too little for himself_, Kakashi observed. _That will be both his greatest strength and greatest weakness._ Though, Kakashi couldn't help but think that the way Naruto had said those words reminded him very strongly of someone. But who...?

XxX

_"Those that break the rules and regulations are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum! If I'm going to be called scum either way, I'd rather break the rules! And if that's not being a proper shinobi, then I'll destroy that idea!"_

XxX

...Oh yeah. That's who.

"Those who break the rules and regulations are scum," Kakashi said as he slowly lifted himself off of Sasuke. "But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

The man turned around and walked to a kunai-shaped stone while Sasuke brought himself back on his feet.

"My best friend said those exact words to me on the day he died," Kakashi whispered so softly that both Sasuke and Sakura had to strain their ears to hear his words.

But Naruto didn't have to hear him say it. He already knew of the tragic story behind those words. The blond had to fight back a small smile as he thought of the very first time he had heard them and the events that had taken place after that. The very same events that were taking place right now...

"This stone..." Kakashi said with his back facing the three Genin. Sasuke and Sakura took that moment to really examine the stone and the writing that covered it. "...is filled with the names of the greatest heroes of our village. The names of those who are... KIA."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.

Sakura gasped. "Killed In Action..."

Naruto brought his head down. He couldn't bring himself to look at the memorial. He didn't want to think of the day he and many others had to witness Sandaime-Jiji, Asuma-sensei and Ero-sennin's names get carved onto the smooth unforgiving stone.

_But it's not going to happen this time... _Naruto tightened his hand into a fist. _I won't let it._

"It's a memorial," Kakashi said, only slightly aware of the pre-teens reaction to the little revelation he had just made. "The names of my closest friends, my teacher and his family are engraved here." The man turned his head a little to the left just in time to catch the widening of Naruto's blue eyes at the mention of his teacher from the corner of his eye.

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura needed to have Naruto's emotion-sensing ability to feel the sorrow rolling off of their blond teammate and their masked teacher. They could sense that the oddly shaped stone was having a sad effect on the two, so they decided to stay silent for the moment.

"I'll give you _one_ more chance," Kakashi said suddenly. He turned his head around to look at the stunned faces of two of the pre-teens – Naruto seemed unsurprised. Had he been expecting it all along? "We'll continue after lunch. However, the next test will be harsher and much more difficult than the previous one. So I suggest that you eat something and recover as much energy as you possibly can. But…" at this he shot both Naruto and Sasuke warning glances. "You must _not_ let Sakura eat, understand?"

Sakura glowered at the masked Jounin.

"If anyone feeds her, that person will immediately _fail_." Kakashi walked closer to them and looked at each Genin in the eye slowly. "Here, I am the rule. Got it?"

Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Not five seconds later…

"Here," Naruto said as he unceremoniously thrust his bento to Sakura's face.

"W-What…?" Sakura mumbled in shock as she stared longing at the food which filled the box in her face.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "I'm giving you my lunch, 'ttebayo. Isn't that obvious?"

"You should eat something," Sasuke said. He took out a kunai, carefully cut the ropes and released the pink haired girl.

"B-But-!" she stammered. "Sensei said-!"

"It's fine, 'ttebayo," Naruto assured as he closed his eyes in a show of concentration. "I can't sense him anywhere," he said. "So, it must mean that he's either out of my range or that he's really happy about something." Okay, so 'happy' wasn't really a word that Naruto could ever use to describe the porn-loving man. Maybe... 'extremely pleased'...? Yeah, that works.

"I don't get it," Sakura said as she sat on the ground after taking the bento box Naruto had offered her gratefully. "What does sensei being happy have anything to do with him not being here?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto said absentmindedly. He grinned at his confused teammates. Well, they were bound to find out sooner or later, so he might as well tell them now. "You guys don't know, do you? I have this... um... ability, you see. I can kind of... '_sense_' other people's feelings," he explained slowly. "But, I can't sense _every_ emotion someone feels. Just the bad ones like sadness, hatred, anger, annoyance, confusion and other stuff."

"I didn't know that you could do that," Sakura admitted before she took another bite of Naruto's lunch.

"Neither did I..." Sasuke said slowly with his dark eyes narrowed at Naruto.

"There's nothing to get so suspicious about, teme," Naruto said. "The reason why you guys didn't know about this was probably because I only got these powers about a week ago, 'ttebayo." A week, three years in the future... what's the difference? "This weird guy told me that he power was _supposedly_ something I got from the Shodaime's wife, Mito." The 'weird guy' that Naruto was talking about was – of course, no one but – Uchiha Madara. But it's not like he could just flat out and tell them that Sasuke's great-great-great-granduncle had told him that little tidbit when Naruto had been fighting the guy at the border between Kumo and Iwa in a war that wouldn't happen in another three years, now could he?

"The Shodaime's wife?" gasped Sakura, nearly choking on the rice she had been in the process of swallowing just a moment before. "Why her? Are the two of you related or something?"

Oh great. He just had to open his big mouth, didn't he? Maybe he should just come out with it and say that both he and Uzumaki Mito had gotten the ability from a grumpy old nine-tailed demon fox which was currently sealed inside of his stomach taking his midday nap...?

Yeah right!

"I'm not really sure if we are, 'ttebayo..." Naruto said truthfully. "But the both of us did come from the same clan... so maybe?"

"_You're _part of a clan?" Sasuke asked dubiously. Since when had the year's loser been a part of any clan? That was impossible. "If you are, the how come no one has ever heard of it?"

"Because technically, it can't really be considered as a clan anymore since – at least for all I know – there are only three members left, teme," Naruto explained almost bitterly. "Our clan had been wiped out _years_ ago in the earlier Shinobi World War. It only makes sense that no one remembers us anymore, 'ttebayo."

"Oh," Sakura mumbled. "I'm sorry..."

Even Sasuke seemed slightly upset, as he should be since he was the one who asked the question in the first place.

"No, it's fine," Naruto reassured her. "_I_ didn't even know about the whole… _clan thing_ until a few months ago!" Once more, a few months, three years later… it's all pretty much the same.

"Well…" Sakura said slightly hesitant as she stole a glance at each of her teammates. "I guess… that's another thing you and Sasuke-kun… have in common."

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke just raised a brow in silent question.

"Well, you both have big chakra reserves," Sakura said. "And you both really like big flashy destructive Jutsus. I mean, you said so yourself, didn't you Naruto?"

"Yeah…" Naruto said slowly as he recalled his memories of yesterday evening after he had showed Sakura how to do the Tree Climbing Exercise. "I guess, I did."

"And now we know that the two of you belong to clans…" Sakura's words flowed to a stop.

…_both of which had been destroyed at one point in time._ Though Sakura hadn't really said the words, they were there. They were just floating around in the air, causing a thick awkward atmosphere to appear among the team.

Fortunately, Kakashi chose that exact moment to appear and scare not only the three Genin, but the tense silence in the air as well.

There was a large explosion. Smoke was everywhere. The sky had darkened from a bright blue to a menacing purple. And Naruto… thought that this was possibly one of the most unconvincing Genjutsus he had ever had the misfortune of experiencing in his entire two lives. The fact that he had nearly peed in his pants the first time he had experienced it did nothing to sooth his already growing annoyance. Honestly, what is it with his teachers and their dynamic – more like _dramatic_ – entries?

With his eyes narrowed, Kakashi gave them a menacing and spine-chilling glare. "YOU GUYS...!" he growled.

Sasuke had crouched down and took out a few kunai, preparing himself for a fight. Sakura had done pretty much the same, though she positioned herself a little bit behind Sasuke – she wouldn't want to get in his way, of course. And Naruto... well, he wasn't really doing much.

"What's got you so ticked off, sensei?" Naruto asked impassively from the ground – because unlike his two teammates, he had thought the chore to be too bothersome to do. He stuck a finger into his ear for added effect.

Kakashi rounded his eyes on the blond. "I thought I told you not to give Sakura any food?"

"I thought you told us that too," Naruto said with his eyes glinting in mischief.

"No!" Sakura yelled out suddenly. Kakashi took his attention away from Naruto and aimed it at the girl. "D-Don't get mad at N-Naruto," Sakura stuttered out under Kakashi's dark gaze. "I-I was the one who a-ate the..."

"She would have been a burden to us," Sasuke said. "Sakura would have been too weak to be of any help on the next test. She would have just dragged the rest of us down."

Naruto clicked his tongue form Sakura's left. "Stop acting so cool, teme. You're only making yourself look stupid, 'ttebayo."

"Naruto..." Sakura growled in warning. How dare he call Sasuke a 'teme' at a time like this? And why was he acting so calm anyway? Was he blind? Could that idiot not see the angry Jounin in front of them?

"So," Kakashi said, his glare losing its malice slightly. "You did it for the good of the team, did you?"

"Yes," Sasuke said as he stood up, placed the kunai back into his pouch and relaxed himself slightly. Naruto was calm. The boy did just tell them that he could sense a person's negative emotions. So, if he wasn't worrying about it, then that means...

"Then, I guess I have no choice but to..." Kakashi said as his eye curled up in the shape of a 'U'. "...pass you!"

"Huh?" exclaimed Sakura dumbly. What just happened? Had she missed something? "I-I'm sorry but... why exactly are you passing us? Y-You know, not that I'm complaining or anything. I'm just curious."

"You guys are the very first team ever I've passed," Kakashi explained. "The others just did everything that I told them to. They were idiots."

Kakashi looked at each of his students (That's right. _His_ students.) before he continued. "A ninja must always look underneath the underneath. My old friend was right. In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

Sakura relaxed and smiled.

Sasuke's mouth curled into a victorious smirk.

Naruto grinned widely and placed his hands behind the back of his head.

"Congratulations," Kakashi said. "You all pass! Team 7 starts its first mission tomorrow!"

Naruto's grin morphed into a displeased scowl. _Oh great_, he groaned silently._ D-Ranks..._

"Yes, sir!" Sakura cheered before she started jumping up and down with glee. '_Shannaro! Look out, world! Haruno Sakura is now officially a Konoha kunoichi!_'

XxX

"Alright everyone!" a man yelled as he adjusted his camera. "Get ready! I'm about to take the picture now!"

Sakura was trying out every pose she could think of. First she placed one hand behind her head and the other oh her hip with one of her eyes closed in a wink. Then, she tried grinning and putting both hands in front of her with each of her index and middle fingers held up in the 'peace' position. The green eyed girl tried pose after pose looking for the perfect one for the very first picture she was going to take with Sasu-! Erm… her team…

Sasuke was sitting just a few feet away from the rest of Team 7. If you had asked him what he had been doing at the time, he would have told you that he was brooding in the dark shade of the trees. But if you asked anyone else – preferably a certain blond Jinchuuriki – they would have told you that the raven-haired teen was sulking like the moody Uchiha that he was because he was upset. Why was he upset you ask? He was upset because he had to take a picture with the two people he least wanted to take a picture with. He knew it was mandatory for a shinobi to take a photo with his first Team as a way of making it official – and also because they needed to put _something_ in the report files – but why couldn't they have just taken the photos individually and place _those_ together in the files instead.

"Hey, teme!" Naruto called with a face-splitting grin, after appearing out of nowhere in front of his 'rival'. "What are you sulking around for, huh?" He grabbed Sasuke's arm and practically _dragged_ the Uchiha to where the rest of their team was waiting. "C'mon! We've got a picture to take, 'ttebayo!"

The blond then proceeded to snagging Sakura's arm with his other hand before forcing the three of them closer together – almost squeezing himself between his two shocked teammates. "Here we go guys!" Naruto grinned. "Let's make this a memory worth remembering, alright?"

"Definitely," Kakashi said with a smile. The man positioned himself in a slight crouch behind his three – now official – students so that his masked face was just barely visible above Naruto's spiky blond hair. He snaked one of his hands on Sasuke's right shoulder and the other on Sakura's left and made the universal 'peace' sign with both of his hands.

"Say 'cheese'!" the photographer called from behind the camera.

"Cheese!" said Naruto and Kakashi cheerfully as they tightened their grips on the other two members of their team – who were, at the moment, too shocked to do anything but stand silently as they let themselves get photographed in the sudden position they currently found themselves in.

Two days later, when Naruto received his copy of Team 7's photo, he smiled.

The photo was – _very_ – different than its original. But that was partly the reason why the smile was on his face in the first place.

In this photo, their positions were changed. Instead of Sakura smiling cutely at the camera, it was Naruto who stood there between his two teammates with a big grin on his whiskered face. Also, neither Sasuke nor Naruto were glaring irritably at each other. Sasuke was looking at his blond teammate with a raised brow and an expression that said, '_Did you just grow another head?_' The look that Sakura had on her face, on the other hand, was something that could be easily interpreted as, '_What the hell just happened?_' And Kakashi, instead of the exasperated look he as aiming at the camera, he was smiling – or what seemed to be the masked man's equivalent of a smile.

Though Naruto was a little sad at the obvious change – and was slightly disappointed that Yamato-taichou and Sai-teme weren't there to complete the team – he was happy. Because change meant that he was doing _something_. It was a sign that things didn't have to turn out like the nightmare they had left behind. Things were _changing_ – hopefully – for the better.

Sasuke didn't have to leave the village and be branded a traitor and common criminal. And with Ero-Sennin and his talent in the arts of Fuuinjutsu, he could – probably – fix Gaara's seal. Itachi wouldn't have to die with his name whispered in the shadows as a traitor. Ero-sennin, Sandaime-Jiji, Asuma-sensei – _no one_ – would have to die again – at least not if Naruto could do anything about it. Nagato and Konan would stay alive this time to see Yahoo's dream of world peace come true. The other Jinchuurikis won't be taken out so easily this time because this time, they would all be together. _All_ of them – the nine Jinchuurikis and their Bijuu, the five kages, the shinobi villages and the shinobi themselves – were going to go through this together, just as they did in the Fourth Great War.

So, Uchiha Madara better watch out because Naruto wasn't planning on letting the shinigami take his soul without him bringing Madara's dark and foul one to depths of Hell with him.

Believe it.

XxX

Shikamaru was standing next to Asuma – now _officially_ his team's Jounin instructor – as the two of them watched Ino rave to Chouji on why eating at a barbecue stand was a bad idea - "I can't eat the food there! It's fattening and I'm on a diet!" - and that they should choose someplace else to eat.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled as he fought back a smile at seeing his two teammates argue on where they should celebrate their team's victory on the Genin Test.

They had just completed their Genin Test almost three hours ago – Ino and Chouji had been arguing on where they should eat for the past three hours. Asuma had made them go through an obstacle course where they had had to work together to capture the Jounin and find a way to get from the starting line to the finish in one piece. Shikamaru had been the brains, Chouji the brawns and Ino the glue that kept up the team morale and kept them together. (Though, her words were a bigger help to Chouji than to Shikamaru because the Nara already knew that they were going to pass the test.)

After they had finished the course, Asuma had made them choose on the two that would stay and the one person who would be sent back to the Academy. Of course, none of them did as he told and instead protested quite loudly – except for Shikamaru, he found the chore much too troublesome and let his teammates do the yelling instead – on why none of them should be sent back. This happened and that happened and in the end, all three of them passed.

At first Ino had wanted to celebrate by going shopping but Chouji had wanted to go have dinner instead. The two had turned to Shikamaru who almost immediately went for Chouji's idea. Now, here they were, three hours later and still haven't decided on where they would have their victory dinner.

Though not many know this, in the original timeline, Shikamaru had went for Ino's suggestion and their team had went shopping instead. At that time, he had made a mistake and not chosen to side with Chouji for he knew of his best friend's monstrous appetite and was afraid that he would have to go home with empty pockets.

Five hours later, Shikamaru had come to deeply regret that decision. He never knew why a woman would need so many clothes and shoes and how they could walk around a dozen different stores for hours without feeling tired.

This time, the Nara boy had made the wiser decision and voted for Chouji's idea instead – after making Asuma promise that he would be the one to pay for the food, of course.

While Shikamaru was watching his two friends argue with slight amusement, Asuma was watching _him_. The man had read his students' files – all of the Jounin Instructors had to after their teams were assigned – and this boy was nothing like the lazy genius Asuma had read about. Sure, the boy seemed like he would rather be snoozing at home than where he was now, but he was a little – no, _a lot_ – different than what Asuma had expected him to be.

Asuma had thought that when he was assigned this team, he would get to meet the children of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho. Yamanaka Inoichi's daughter, Ino, who would rather spend her days gossiping and chasing after Konoha's last Uchiha than running around and training hard until she was drenched in sweat. Then, there was Akimichi Chouza's son, Chouji – a boy with many insecurities and the confidence of timid mouse. He could usually be found with a friend or family member close by for he was afraid of getting bullied if there was no one around he could trust.

And lastly, Nara Shikaku's son, Shikamaru. In the reports the teachers at the Academy had made, the boy had slept through almost all of his classes and passed each and every one of them with one of the highest grades in his class – except for Taijutsu, as he states the subject to be too 'troublesome'. He could sometimes be found skipping classes with his friends, one of them being the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto. According to the reports, this boy was the type of person who would rather avoid any and every form of conflict than start one. The boy himself had admitted a few times of his dislike of fighting.

But the boy who was standing next to him and the boy he had expected to meet were almost nothing alike. In the test, Shikamaru had taken more of an effort to get his team to pass than Asuma had seen any Nara make for anything else. And the plan the boy had come up with was perfect. There wasn't a single flaw in it – at least, none that Asuma could detect. And when he had asked them to make the decision, Shikamaru had been the first to speak up. The boy had told him that three of them were a team and that none of them was going to condemn any of their teammates like that. And it was only after Shikamaru had said those words that the other two started protesting as well – though Ino and Chouji had chosen to make their views known in a much louder volume than Shikamaru did.

"Why don't we just eat over there?" the Nara suddenly said, causing his teammates' eyes to land on him. The pony-tailed boy was pointing to a ramen bar a few feet to their left.

"Ichiraku's?" Chouji asked. The ramen there was awesome, but Shikamaru had never liked eating ramen. So why did he want to go there now?

"A _ramen_ bar?" Ino nearly screeched. "Do you _want_ me to get fat? Why the hell should I eat that disgusting stuff anyway?"

"Maybe because Team 7's eating there too?" Shikamaru said with a blank expression, his finger still pointed to the bar.

"What?" Ino took a closer look at the bar and gave a loud squeal when she spotted the unmistakable dark hair of her long-time crush – while intentionally ignoring the orange and pink dots sitting on either side of him. "Well, what are we waiting for?" the girl yelled as she grabbed her teammates' hands in an iron hold. "I'm hungry! Let's go!" Ino dragged both Shikamaru and Chouji to the ramen bar, leaving Asuma to chase after them in his own pace.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" Ino squealed once she got close enough to the dining team.

Shikamaru saw the Uchiha stiffen and Sakura shoot a glare towards his female teammate. Naruto just turned his head around and – with noodles hanging from his mouth – greeted his two old partners in ditching. "Rey, guysh! (Hey, guys!)" the spiky-haired blond took some time to chew and swallow his food before he continued. "What a surprise. I didn't know you were coming here for dinner too, 'ttebayo."

"Troublesome liar," Shikamaru accused lightly. _You knew we were close by all along, didn't you?_

Naruto just brought one of his hands to rub at the back of his head and grinned – without even bothering to deny Shikamaru's accusation. It was mostly thanks to Ino's combination of great annoyance, disbelief, and frustration. He could pretty much feel Team 10 coming from a hundred miles away!

Sasuke lifted a brow at this – doing his best to ignore the bickering girls next to him. Had Shikamaru known about Naruto's Emotion Sensing?

Obviously, he did if what Sasuke could read from their facial expressions was any indication.

Shikamaru suddenly grew quiet and his eyes narrowed slightly. It was clearly obvious that something was bothering him to those who had been paying attention to his and Naruto's interaction – namely Sasuke, Kakashi and Asuma.

Sensing his friend's sudden unease, Naruto asked, "Ano sa, ano sa, is something wrong, Shikamaru?"

"I need to talk with you," Shikamaru said after a short silence. "Privately," he added as he threw a significant glance at the two eavesdropping teachers and Uchiha.

"Alright," Naruto said easily before he lifted his bowl – his sixth helping in the last hour – and finished the broth. Once that was done, he got up from his seat – Ino quickly took advantage of this and took his seat as it was right next to Sasuke's – and thanked the old Ramen chef. "Give the check to Kakashi-sensei, dattebayo! He's buying!" he called over his should before walking out the bar with Shikamaru.

Once Naruto was gone, Sasuke stood up and grunted at his teacher as a sign that he was leaving.

"Don't forget about tomorrow's training," Kakashi called to him with a lazy wave of his hand and his eyes never leaving his precious book. "Remember, 6AM sharp."

The young Uchiha just grunted in reply.

Ino and Sakura – having paused long enough in their argument to realize that Sasuke had already left – shot up from their seats and immediately ran after the retreating Uchiha screaming, "Sasuke-kun, wait for me!"

This left the two suspicious Jounin and the still eating Chouji at the ramen bar.

XxX

Naruto knelt in front of the carved stone and placed his hands together before sending a silent prayer to his parents. In front of him stood Konoha's Stone Memorial – or, as the Hachibi's Jinchuuriki so elegantly called it, 'Konoha's Rock of Dead People' – with two names carved close together somewhere in the middle.

_Namikaze Minato_ was carved in elegant writing right next to _Uzumaki Kushina_.

Naruto and Shikamaru had been standing – or, in Naruto's case, sitting – in front of the memorial for nearly five minutes. Neither boy had wanted to break the silence that had fallen over them. But, then again, Naruto had never been known for staying quiet for too long.

"So," he said as he finished praying, yet made no move to stand up. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Shikamaru stayed silent. He walked forwards to stand next to his friend in front of the memorial. He studied the black stone intently while forcing back the memories of seeing more names – names of his teacher, his friends and comrades – being carved on to it.

Then, Shikamaru spoke. "If there was another way to do this," he said. "Someway where you didn't have to give up your soul for... all of _this_," the Nara waved his hand around vaguely, "would you take it?"

Naruto knew that this wasn't what his friend had wanted to talk to him about, but he decided that he would humor the lazy genius... for now. "No," he answered the question truthfully.

"Why not?" Shikamaru asked without taking his eyes off of the memorial.

"Because chances like these," Naruto said, his eyes traveling to the dark twilight sky. "…always come with a price. And if _I_ don't pay it…" his blue eyes closed as a sad smile graced his lips, "…someone else will have to, y'know."

Shikamaru looked sad yet understanding. But just because he understood his friends need to protect other so – maybe a little _too_ – selflessly, it didn't mean that he had to accept it. "And you don't want that." It wasn't a question, both boys knew it.

Naruto shook his head.

"You're not going to try to save the world by yourself… _again_, are you?" the brunet asked the Jinchuuriki.

"No," Naruto said once more as he stood up. "There are just some things in life that no one – not even someone as awesome as _me_ – can do by himself, 'ttebayo. I understand that now."

Shikamaru remained silent. He could sense that Naruto wanted to say more.

"Itachi said that to me, y'know," Naruto said. Though, the long-haired Uchiha didn't exactly call him 'awesome', he did say everything else. "He said that if I kept trying to do everything on my own, I'd end up just like Madara. He told me that though I was getting stronger, I was forgetting everyone else with those 'egotistical thoughts'. He reminded me that my Pa became Hokage because of my Ma and everyone else who believed in him. Itachi said that if I wanted to achieve the same dream, I shouldn't forget about my friends – my precious people."

Shikamaru nodded at those words. He always knew that he liked Sasuke's older brother for a reason. "So," Shikamaru began, "what do you want to do?"

"I'm going to rally our friends," the blond said with conviction. "We'll beat Madara – _together_! That prehistoric bastard won't know what hit him, dattebayo!"

"My thoughts exactly," Shikamaru nodded in satisfaction. He had been worried that he was going to have to force Naruto to accept his plans because that idiot would be too selfless and stubborn to ask help from others.

"So," the lazy genius said again. "Your team will be going to Nami no Kuni pretty soon, right?"

Naruto's ears perked at the mention of Wave Country and the sudden change in his friend's tone. Something told him that this was the _real_ reason why the young Nara had asked him to come here. "Yeah," he said. "About two weeks from now, I think."

"And Nami is quite close to Kiri, isn't it?" Shikamaru smirked. "It's just a couple of days travel by boat, if I'm not mistaken," – and he rarely was.

"That look on your face is starting to creep me out, 'ttebayo," Naruto said warily. "What are you thinking, Shika?"

"I'm thinking," the Nara said slowly, "that Konoha is long overdue with sending our respects to the new Mizukage."

Naruto's blue eyes widened very slowly as he pieced a small part of Shikamaru's plan together.

Then, he grinned.

XxX

_Many years ago, the powerful demon fox of the nine Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Youko attacked the great village of Konohagakure. Many shinobi had fought valiantly to protect their precious village and many lives had been lost._

_When all hope seemed lost, the village's leader, the legendary Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, Namikaze Minato appeared on top of his mighty toad summons and faced the demon in battle. But no matter how strong he was, the young Hokage could not kill the Kyuubi for the beast was not an actual living being, but a monster made of pure malevolent chakra._

_Left with no other choice, the Yondaime was forced to seal the Kyuubi – and place his faith, trust, hopes and dreams of his village and its future – into an infant. A spiky haired blond baby with the most honest and bluest eyes anyone would ever see._

_This is where our story begins..._

"BOOM!"

Jiraiya paused in his writing at the sound of the unbelievably loud explosion which came from the outside of the old restaurant he was in. The sound was soon followed by a string of slurred curses that could make even the most hardened sailor blush and stutter like a schoolgirl.

This could only mean one thing.

He had found Tsunade.

Honestly, he was having slight difficulty at believing how little time it took for him to find his wayward teammate. Maybe Naruto's unnatural luck was finally rubbing off on him?

The old Toad Sage sighed as he heard another building crumble to dust at the hands of his old friend. It looks like he would have to continue with Naruto's book another time.

Right now, he had public property to rescue.

XxX

"You're late," muttered a Tokubetsu Jounin named Morino Ibiki who was standing in the far corner of the Hokage's office as he eyed the late comers irritably. "_Both_ of you."

"I'd have expected something like this from Kakashi," grumbled Kurenai with annoyance. "But _you_, Asuma?"

Kakashi gave everyone his infamous 'eye-smile' before he whipped out his latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise. Asuma just gave a non-committable shrug. "I was taking my team out for dinner. It took a while for their stomachs to be satisfied."

"Oh?" asked Mitarashi Anko from Kurenai's left as she nibbled on her fifth dango stick since waiting for Kakashi and Asuma to arrive. She had come here with Ibiki and a few other Jounin and Chunin to assess the Jounin-senseis' choices in the passing which Genin and why in case some of them do not see it fit for a few particular Genin to pass or fail – though she fails to see why they are needed as in the end they always agree on the same things. "So, the brats passed, then?"

Before Asuma had a chance to even open his mouth, the Sandaime cleared his throat loudly before he took a drag out of his pipe. "Now that we are all _finally_ present," – at this, the old Hokage shot an exasperated look at his son and the late Yondaime's student – "we can begin with listing the teams that had passed and the teams that had not. Those who's assigned Genin had passed the exam please step forward and state your team's number and members."

Kurenai was the first to speak. "Team 8 under Yuuhi Kurenai, passed. Members: Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata."

The Sandaime nodded as he wrote down the specifics. Truthfully, he didn't need to write much as he had already had the passing teams' files ready after learning from Naruto which ones would pass the exams.

Asuma came next. "Team 10 under Sarutobi Asuma, passed. Members: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji and Yamanaka Ino."

"Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi, passed," a voice said with a lazy tone, shocking nearly everyone in the room except for the two Sarutobis. "Members: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura."

While everyone stayed in shocked silence, the Sandaime smirked. "Very well, then."

Anko – being her usual loud, honest, tactless and blunt as a hammer self – was the first to break the eerie silence. "_Y-You p-p-passed a t-t-team!_ Everyone, check the windows! Do you see any pigs flying around?! Is the sky falling?!"

Kotetsu – being one of the few Chunin in the room – would have complied with Anko's strange request had his ever loyal partner, Izumo not stopped him from making a fool of himself...again.

"Kakashi..." Ibiki said carefully. "Are you feeling..._alright_?" This question was asked with Ibiki pointing to his temple. "Do you need me and Inoichi-san to... _help_ you with anything...?"

Asuma rolled his eyes at his fellow colleagues' antics. _Are these guys serious?_

Everyone else just continued to look at the masked Jounin as if he had pulled his mask off, grown six extra arms and legs and was dancing the Hokey-Pokey in a yellow polka-dotted bikini.

"I guess we don't need to be too surprised," one of the Jounin who had failed his team said after a while of silence. "That Uchiha kid's on his team after all."

Most of the shinobi murmured and grunted in agreement. All of them knew how much the council adored the last Uchiha and would be willing to do just about anything to turn him into one of their greatest weapons. They figured that the council must have ordered – or threatened – Kakashi to let the kid pass.

Though, this was untrue, Kakashi didn't do anything to stop this rumor from spreading.

He vaguely remembered Koharu and Homura approaching him yesterday after his meeting with Team 7. They didn't threaten him, but they made sure to emphasize on Sasuke's blood-relation with Obito and how devastated Obito might be if his cousin did not get the chance to become a shinobi only because his teammate had been too hard to please. Kakashi had noted that the two were getting too old and had become senile for they had seemed to have forgotten how they had scorned Obito and his lack of talent and manners as a member of one of the elite clans of Konoha.

The Hokage cleared his throat once more – a silent order for the Jounin to be quiet – before he spoke, "Now that that is dealt with, let us continue. About the oncoming Chunin Exams..."

XxX

"Why are the two of you still here?" the Sandaime asked without beating around the bush. Actually, the old man had a pretty good idea of what the two Jounin wanted, but it would be better for all of them if he continued to appear ignorant.

"Maa, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said as he closed his book. "We just had a couple of things we wanted to discuss with you."

"It's about a couple of our Genin," Asuma interjected.

"And why," the Hokage said, "did you not think to voice such concerns during the meeting?"

"These _concerns_ of ours," Kakashi said, "are best discussed without the ears of others around to hear such information."

"Are these matters that delicate?" the Sandaime asked.

"Yes," the two Jounin answered immediately.

"Very well." The Hokage made a few hand-signs as he activated his privacy seals and gave his ANBU silent orders to guard his office and make sure that there were no stray flies on the walls.

"So?" the Hokage asked the two. "Out with it."

Kakashi and Asuma looked to each other before Asuma nodded – a sign that Kakashi should start.

The silver-haired Jounin sighed. "Well, Hokage-sama," he began. "It has come to our attention that one of each of our Genin has been showing great skill and intelligence they should not."

"And these Genin you speak of are…?" The question had not needed to be asked. Hiruzen already had a good hunch of whom Kakashi was speaking of.

"Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Naruto," Asuma spoke from behind his fellow Jounin.

Bingo. Hiruzen was right.

"And these skills that you speak of…?" the Sandaime spoke slowly. He needed to be extremely careful of what he said and he had to be fast in coming up with a plausible reason on why these Genin were acting as such – or they might all be in trouble.

"Naruto knows how to use the Hiraishin," Kakashi said. This caused the disbelieving eyes of Sarutobi Asuma to land on him. The Hiraishin – one of the Yondaime's most prized techniques? Kakashi definitely did _not_ mention that during their meal at Ichiraku's.

"Hmm," the Sandaime hummed. "Frankly speaking, I am not too surprised nor am I worried of it."

"Why not, Hokage-sama?" the masked Jounin asked.

"You may not know this," the Sandaime said as an excuse for Naruto's sudden knowledge of one of his father's most kept secrets came to his mind. "But my student had dropped over for a visit about a week ago. He came here because he wanted to see Naruto."

"Jiraiya-sama?" Asuma questioned. For the man did not know of the Toad Sannin nor the Yondaime's actual relation to Konoha's last Uzumaki, he assumed that the man had come to check up on Naruto's seal.

"Yes," the Sandaime confirmed. "But if you want to look for him, I suggest you wait until the Chunin Exams. Something had come up so he had to leave the village for a while. Now initially, he came here to examine Naruto's seal and ensure that it was doing exactly what it was designed to do, but then he and Naruto had started talking and the next thing I knew, Jiraiya had dragged Naruto off somewhere to show him just how _awesome_ he really was by teaching him a few techniques he knew. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the boy started using the Rasengan from now on if he had already learned how to use the Hiraishin."

"Did he also tell Naruto of his parents' identities? Because Naruto had hinted that he knows who they are yesterday when I made the team introduce themselves," Kakashi questioned.

"His parents…?" Asuma murmured. Come to think of it, he never really gave much thought as to who the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's parents were.

"Yes," the Sandaime said. "Naruto now knows who his parents are."

Asuma began thinking. He wondered who the boy's parents were and if he had ever met them before.

"And he isn't angry with them for what they had done?" Kakashi asked. This was something that he needed to know.

"No," the old Hokage answered. "If anything, I believe that Naruto only grew to love them for he understands their sacrifice and is happy to know that they loved him and believed in him enough to carry the burden of a Jinchuuriki."

Kakashi gave an inaudible sigh. That was good. He would really hate it if Naruto resented his sensei and Kushina-nee-san for using him – their own son – as a vessel for the most powerful Bijuu there was.

Asuma tried putting the pieces together. So, his parents knew what Minato-san was planning to do and handed over Naruto to him for the sealing of their free will – he could tell that much by the words his father had spoken. But that doesn't help him come up with their identity very much.

"Hokage-sama, there's something else," Kakashi said, cutting off Asuma's train of thought. "During the test… I'm not entirely sure of this and maybe all those years in ANBU-" he didn't bother hiding the fact that he had once been an ANBU from Asuma because both he and the Sandaime's son had come to a silent agreement years ago that he would keep quiet of Asuma's role as one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi – to those who didn't know already – and Asuma wouldn't tell anyone of Kakashi's previous rank in ANBU "-have made me delusional and paranoid, but if I'm not mistaken… Naruto, during the test, he looked so confident – _too _confident – that if I didn't know any better, I would've thought that he knew of the test's objective before I even introduced myself to his team."

"Yeah," Asuma cut in with a troubled crease between his brows. "Shikamaru was acting pretty much the same. During the test, it was like he could read my movements – know where I'd be and what trap I had for them – before even _I_ could figure out what my next move would be."

Well, that one was slightly more difficult to explain. But he wasn't known as 'The Professor' for nothing.

"Well, the Naras had always been known for their above average IQ. And young Shikamaru is said to be one of the most brilliant Naras in history, maybe even better than his father. I'm sure that all he did was think up a good strategy and predict a few of your moves. He may have even thought a few steps ahead of you as the members of his clan are known to do.

"As for Naruto, like I said before, he and Jiraiya ha talked with each other for a while. I'm sure that my student had told him a few stories of his Genin days and of the test I had given him and his team – the same test that he had used on Minato's team who had used the same test on your team, Kakashi. Naruto may not be the sharpest kunai in the shed, but he definitely isn't the bluntest. So I'm sure that he had been able to deduce what you had been planning for his team without too many problems."

There, that sounded like a plausible excuse. After he had answered a few more questions and sent the two Jounin out of his office, the old Hokage reminded himself to have a word with the two boys later on the art of stealth, subtlety and cunning.

XxX

"Hey, Ino?" Sakura said quietly to her ex-best friend.

"What?" the blonde snapped. She was tired from all the running they did from chasing Sasuke-kun and aggravated that they had lost him not ten minutes from leaving their team at the ramen bar.

"Do…" Sakura hesitated at asking her question but she sucked it up and asked anyway. "Do you think I'm weak?"

Ino faltered slightly in her pace before she resumed walking next to her rival. To say that the question was unexpected was a great understatement. "What makes you think that you're weak?"

"During the test," Sakura began explaining. "Kakashi-sensei made us fight him and get some bells from him to pass."

Ino nodded as an indication that she was listening. The test sound pretty simple compared to what her team had to do – run through a hard-ass obstacle course while chasing after a Jounin (who kept escaping every time they caught him) was no walk in the park – but it didn't mean that the test was easier. At least her team didn't have to actually fight their sensei – just catch him.

"Sasuke-kun was able to touch the bells," Sakura said with great admiration. "Naruto actually got a bell."

"_What_?!" Ino yelped as her steps faltered once more. "Hey, are you sure that we're thinking of the same Naruto here?"

"Hmm," Sakura hummed with a nod. "Naruto… he's a _lot_ stronger than all of us first thought. He can make solid clones and he has some kind of teleportation jutsu and did you know that he can sense other people's emotions? Not _chakra_, _emotions_."

"Really?" Ino questioned with disbelief. "_The_ Uzumaki Naruto – the dead-last, the outcast, the _idiot_ – can do all that? Since when?"

Sakura shrugged. "He said that the emotion-sensing and the Kage Bunshin were pretty recent. But he said nothing about the teleportation technique." Maybe she could ask him about that the next time she saw him. Then, Sakura hung her head in shame as she thought of how much stronger Naruto – the supposed loser – was then her. "He and Sasuke-kun were amazing. The both fought Kakashi-sensei head on and weren't afraid to go against a Jounin. All I did was run around like a head-less chicken like some idiot. I'm useless."

"No," Ino assured suddenly – greatly surprising the pink-haired Genin. "You're not useless." She wasn't sure where those words were coming from, but when Sakura had said that she was useless, a sudden image of her friend – with much shorter hair – destroying an entire boulder with her bare fist appeared in her mind and she couldn't help but think of how cool Sakura seemed. "You're great, Sakura – at least better than I am. During our test, Shikamaru came up with this amazing plan and Chouji was really strong. All I could do was cheer them on from the sidelines like some worthless cheerleader."

Both girls sighed at the same time. "I wish there was some way for us to get stronger," Ino murmured.

A sudden image of her orange-loving teammate giving her a reassuring grin and a 'thumbs up' appeared in Sakura's mind and she said, "We can't just become strong over night." She turned her head to look at Ino and give her and encouraging smile as an idea formed in her head. "But that doesn't mean we can't start now."

Ino gave her ex-best friend a raised blonde brow as she asked suspiciously, "What are you thinking, billboard-brow?"

"I think that I want to show you something cool," Sakura said as her eyes roved around the neighborhood they were in. "Now all we need is to find a tree."

XxX

The next morning, Sakura had arrived at the red bridge where her team was said to meet up with a bright smile on her face. Sakura was the first member of Team 7 to arrive, but she wasn't troubled by this even the slightest. Naruto was probably going to arrive late (only because Kakashi was _definitely_ going to take his sweet time getting there) and Sasuke-kun was most likely on his way.

She was still giddy from the look of amazement on Ino's face from seeing her climb a tree using only chakra and from the unexpected compliments her rival had given her. She had gratefully the favor by teaching the Yamanaka girl the tree-climbing exercise Naruto had taught her a few days ago and was greatly pleased of the fact that she had better chakra control than Ino.

She took out one of the scrolls Iruka-sensei had given her – it showed the steps in an exercise where she would have to keep a fish out of water alive with only using her chakra – and began to read while she waited for her teammates. While she was half-way through (she couldn't wait to try it out later after their team's very first mission!) she read in the next paragraph that to be a good medic-nin, one would have to have perfect chakra control and above average chakra reserves – for injuries which would require a lot of chakra to heal.

She knew that she had above average control of her chakra – if what Naruto had told her was in any way true – but it still wasn't perfect. And she had been told by many of her Academy teachers that her chakra reserves were still barely above those of a civilian's and nowhere near the size of an average shinobi's. So the first on her agenda should be increasing her control and expand reserves.

Sakura stood up from her sitting position and made her way to one of the trees located near the red bridge. Naruto did say the tree-climbing exercise was used to boost a shinobi's chakra control, so maybe she should try that first. She could always ask him or Kakashi-sensei of what she could do to expand her chakra reserves later.

XxX

When Sasuke had woken up that morning – from a, thankfully, dreamless sleep – he had expected many things once he reached the bridge where his team was supposed to meet before their first official mission. The Uchiha had expected the absence of their Jounin sensei – if the last two days could be of any indication. He had expected to find his idiot of a blond teammate grumbling about how late their sensei was and to have Sakura jump at him the moment he made his presence known.

Surprisingly, only one of those many things happened.

His sensei – just as he thought – wasn't there. Neither was Naruto – but then again, since when had the dobe ever done _anything_ predictable? And Sakura didn't jump him… for she was too busy walking up a tree while reading a scroll.

"Sakura?" he blurted out before he could even think of saying anything else.

Sakura froze in her steps before he yelped out, "_Sasuke-kun_!" and lost her focus before she finally fell from the tree.

Sasuke grimaced and walked up to the pink-haired girl, though he did nothing to assist her – he didn't want her to get any ideas after all.

Sakura groaned in pain before she looked up at Sasuke and promptly glowed a shade of red that could put a tomato to shame. She couldn't believe she had just _fallen from a tree_ in front of _Uchiha Sasuke_! He had also seen her reading from her iryou jutsu scroll. Oh god, he must think that she was some kind of weak nerdy _bookworm_!

Actually, the young Uchiha was thinking none of those things. In fact, he only thing that ran through his mind at the moment was the technique Sakura had used when she climbed the tree and what he could do to learn it.

"Sakura," he said slowly, to make sure that he had her attention. "What you did just now… that was…"

Oh god! Sasuke-kun must have thought that she was _pathetic_ to have fallen from the tree like that!

"Who taught you how to do that?" Sasuke asked. Maybe he could get whoever Sakura's teacher was to teach him the technique as well, because he very well doubted that the fangirl could teach him that technique without ogling at him the entire time.

"Oh?" Well, that was unexpected. "Um… well, i-it was Naruto…"

"_Naruto_?" he questioned. There went his earlier plan. "Who taught it to him?" he tried.

"Erm… I'm not sure…" Sakura said with slight hesitance. "He told me that it was this Jounin he knew a while back… Naruto never mentioned a name."

Sasuke grunted irritably. Typical.

"But… um, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said with a hopeful gleam in her bottle-green eyes and a light blush dusting her cheeks. "If you want… I can teach it to you. I already taught it to Ino last night, so…"

So if he _really_ wanted to learn this – and Sasuke _really_ wanted to for he could see the benefits of learning such technique – then he would have to ask either, a) the dead last, b) some mysterious Jounin – if he could find the guy first, that is – c) Fangirl #1 (Sakura) d) Fangirl #2 (Ino) or e) his new Jounin sensei – not that he expected Kakashi to teach it to him even if he was begging on his knees (which he most definitely will _not_! Especially not to _Kakashi_ of all people!)

_Great_…

"Sakura…" Sasuke said as he slowly came to a decision.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked eagerly and excitedly.

Sasuke sighed. Please don't let him regret this! "Will you…" he said slowly – as if just saying the words brought him physical pain. "…teach me…" Sasuke gritted his teeth. "…how you… did that…technique?" That was it. He couldn't even make an actual sentence without killing more of his already suffering pride. It was humiliating. Having to ask the _fangirl _– of all people – to teach him (_HIM!_) a technique that even the Dobe could do.

Damnit! How the hell could that idiot have learned a technique that even _he_ hadn't known about? First the Kage Bunshin, then there was that teleportation jutsu – which he was going to ask the blond idiot where exactly he learnt it – and now _this_!

That moron was getting stronger! And he was going nowhere! How the hell can he even _hope_ to kill his brother if someone like _Naruto_ could be stronger than him?!

"Sure thing, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said enthusiastically and with a bright smile adorning her face – she remained oblivious to the dark turns Sasuke's thoughts were turning.

Sakura stood and quickly composed herself so that it would seem like this was no big deal to her (which it was since _Sasuke-kun_ was the one who asked for _her_ help! _Shannaro! Take that Ino-pig!_) After all, it wouldn't be good to have Sasuke-kun think that she was desperate. Yes, she had to act cool. Play hard-to-get.

"Now, first," she said as she began her explanation. "You have to focus chakra to…"

XxX

Naruto was worried.

He had woken up this morning – _after_ six because he would bet on anything that Kakashi-sensei wouldn't be at the bridge until at least seven-thirty (and h was Uzumaki Naruto – he _never_ lost a bet) – and had been about to eat breakfast (RAMEN!) when he sensed a heavy _dark_ aura coming from the bridge where his team was supposed to meet at. And it wasn't just any typical KI… it was _Sasuke's_!

The blond had quickly grabbed his orange jacket and abandoned his breakfast (his heart was still crying over the wasted food) and ran over the rooftops towards the small red bridge while berating himself over and over again for not placing one of his seals there before!

_Stupid! Stupid! STUPID, Naruto! You IDIOT!_ Naruto let _extremely_ colorful and curses fly from his lips as he quickened his pace. The KI had disappeared a few moments ago – he really didn't want to think of the many reasons how that could have happened – and had now dwindled into something more akin to annoyance and dissatisfaction.

Naruto thought back to Sasuke's KI and what could have happened to trigger it. Though it wasn't as potent as the older-Sasuke's KI, it was still enough to have the blond worry. The only time Sasuke ever let out something so strong was when he was thinking of his brother (though this was _before_ he found out the truth of Itachi), Konoha or Naruto. He was really hoping that it was none of the above.

Once the red bridge and his teammates were in sight (he took note that Kakashi-sensei wasn't present. What a surprise…), Naruto paused and ducked behind a building nearby. (His mind vaguely registered that it was one of Konoha's many bathhouses, although it wasn't as popular as the one Ero-sennin liked to visit to do 'research'.) He didn't want his presence to be known yet. He wanted to get a hold of the situation first before doing making a move he most probably would regret.

Being in a war had made the blond Jinchuuriki paranoid and had forced him to consider of every possible scenario that comes to mind before going into battle. The second one, he had the entire Nara clan and Tsunade-baa-chan to thank.

He made himself to remember that this was the arrogant twelve-year-old-I-want-to-kill-my-brother Sasuke and not psychotic seventeen-year-old-must-destroy-Konoha Sasuke and that he should regard him as such. Was Sasuke just brooding over his clan and revenge again? Did Sakura-chan say or do something that reminded Sasuke of things that no one should remind Uchiha Sasuke about?

Or was this _really_ the psychotic seventeen-year-old-must-destroy-Konoha Sasuke? It was a possibility, wasn't it? Kurama _did_ say that even if Naruto didn't give everyone their memories back, sooner or later they were going to get them back anyway, didn't he? What if Sasuke got his memories returned sooner rather than later? What happens then?

Naruto steeled himself and brought his head out from behind the bathhouse before he froze and stared dumbly at the scene before him.

Did he just see _the _Uchiha Sasuke fall from a tree?

"Argh," Naruto heard Sasuke growl – annoyance radiating off of the black-haired boy in waves.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura tried consoling. "You don't have to get angry now. Naruto said that it took him _days_ to get this right."

Sasuke growled once more at the mention of his blond teammate. "I won't lose," he said with determination. "Not to that idiot." After that, he took off at a run up the tree once more.

Naruto blinked.

The gears in his brain turned and squeaked as he processed the events that were unfolding.

The Jinchuuriki blinked once more.

Oh…

So, Sasuke found out that Naruto and Sakura could do the tree-climbing exercise… and he realized that _he_ – the genius, the prodigy – couldn't do it himself… which led him to think that he was weaker than his teammates… which led him to think of his clan and Itachi… which would explain the KI Naruto had sensed earlier… and…

And Naruto abandoned his precious ramen for _this_?!

Naruto sighed at the false alarm.

Let it never be said that war leaves those who had been involved sane.

Naruto crouched down as he looked on at his two teammates – his friends – from afar. They had both learned – or in Sakura's case, mastered – the tree climbing exercise two weeks earlier than they did in the first timeline. He wasn't _exactly_ sure how this would help them in the future, but it was a start. It showed how different things were and that changes were happening. Events were going to play differently and fate and destiny had abandoned their earlier plans to make way for the new ones.

Not that he would have let things go exactly as they did before anyway. What a waste of time-travel that would have been.

Naruto smiled.

It wasn't anything big, but it was a start.

And it was good enough for him.

…

Still, he couldn't believe that he had forsaken breakfast for this. He was too high-strung. Maybe a good prank or two would loosen him up a little. The mission to Wave Country wouldn't start in another two weeks. He had time to spare for a couple of pranks.

Yeah. And he knew just who his victims were going to be…

Naruto's thoughts were instantly cut through when he heard a loud – and extremely familiar – voice call out to him. (Thankfully, neither Sakura nor Sasuke had heard the voice, so they still didn't know that he was there.)

"Oi, Uzumaki! 'The hell are you doing at that bathhouse? Are you being a pervert or- _Hey! _I'm talking to you! Don't ignore me!"

_Oh, great…_

XxX

Recommended fic of the chapter: Lights in the Fridge by fowl68 – a Naruto fanfic.


	5. Chapter 5 Team 17?

A/N: **Do me and my pride a favor and ignore the first part of this A/N and just skip to the thank-yous. Most of it's just me ranting about my horrible life anyway.**

*Groans* Life is sucking pretty hard for me. I just moved to a new state – five _hours_ away from home – with my mom and my little brothers. She did this because she wanted to be closer to my big brother's university, so that in case anything happens, it wouldn't take her an entire quarter of the day to reach him.

I can't believe that she would go through something like this – move some place so far away from home, away from my friends and aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, away from the people I'd known since I was a baby, away from the place my family's lived at since my grandparents' grandparents were still alive – all for the sake of my big brother.

It's not like she even asked me if I wanted to move. No, the only people who did ask were my friends, my cousins, aunts and uncles, my grandparents, heck even a couple of my _teachers _felt about the move. But not her – _my own mother!_

It's times like these that I wonder if she even notices I'm there – I don't even have to _wonder_ if my dad does; I know for a _fact_ that I don't even _exist_ in his world. Of course, my little brothers are nothing short of royalty in her eyes. And my big brother… well, I guess I understand how she can be so worried for him, with his disability and all.

I hate this place. I'm sixteen now, so of course everything I learn is ten times harder than last year. I don't know anyone here to ask questions for the stuff I don't get. Their faces are all different from the ones I'm used to. The uniform's different. They talk differently. There are barely any buildings around, just trees, trees and – Look! – _more_ trees. The air here's frigid and cold. The house – _not home_ – is thirty minutes away from the school, which means I have to wake up at 5:30 every fucking morning. We can't go anywhere without a map – or in my mom's case, me since I've pretty much memorized the map anyway. And everything's just, just so… different.

And I _hate_ it!

And my mom's job is keeping her so busy, I don't get to see her for almost twelve hours a day.

And, naturally, that leaves me to clean the new house and pamper my little brothers when she's too busy to do it herself. Help them with their homework, feed them, keep an eye on them when they shower, clean their room for them, iron their clothes, take them to school, everything, _everything, e-ve-ry-thing…!_

Bet you guys won't believe me when I tell you that my little brothers are thirteen and eight-years-old.

But fine! Enough about me! Time to start with the chapter.

To dimensiontimetraveler, Megahit1324, AyameRose, roy23, DarkFoxKit, Theia Pallas, RedRangerBelt, 69AnimeFreak69, Andore-kun, imsabbel, BanannahHair, twilightromance4ever, SoraHuuzuke, AllAmericanNick, naruhina4444, Silver Flyer, Mohoro, nikkychin7, ANIME X MANGA – ME, A:Narrative Cloud, thank A LOT guys. Reading your reviews really brightened up my day. Sorry that my updates are slow, but please believe me when I say that I'm doing my best and just be patient, okay?

To diesiontimetraveler: Hey, hey! I updated, see? No need to be so upset!

To AyameRose: Wow… are you clairvoyant?

To DarkFOxKit: Haha, thnks. Your reviews are always the best!

To RedRangerBelt: I don't mean to be um… mean or anything, but sorry! You're just gonna have to find out yourself. Like I said, just be patient.

To imsabbel: You liked it? Really? *tears up in happiness*

To Guest (10/31/12): thank! I made that one up myself!

To SoraHuuzuke: I know, right! Shika's one of my favs too!

To Mohoro: Yahiko! Yahiko! I typed in 'Yahiko'! I _know _I did! Damn you auto-correct! Thanks for giving me that heads up. Man, that's sooo embarrassing! Anyway, I kinda get what your saying. Most timetravel!Naruto fics made him so jaded and depressed, it's kinda sad really. So, I thought that I could make mine different from those other Naruto's. Again, thanks for the review!

To ANIME X MANGA – ME: R-Really, mine's not the _best_ fanfic out there. Honest. *blushes in slight embarrassment and happiness* I know hundreds of other _better_ fanfics out there (it's what the 'Recommended fic of the chapter' at the bottom's for. But still, thank you SO MUCH!

To Silver Flyer: 'Awesome', huh? I'm just realizing how a lot of people like to associate that word with my fic. Anyway, thanks for your youthful review!

Summary: This is a dream, right? There's absolutely no way that all of this can be real, right? Yeah. There are five heads on the Hokage Monument. Not four. And Sandaime-jii-chan's been dead for years now, everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way he could've... is there? Time-travel's supposed to be impossible, isn't it? And the impossible is all that Uzumaki Naruto has ever done and – most likely – _has_ done once more.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_. If I did, then *spoiler alert! spoiler alert!* Neji wouldn't have to DIE!

As usual, please enjoy!

_Nami._

XxX

**Rewind, Relive, Return**

CHAPTER 5 – _An Unexpected Change of Plans! Team 17?!_

XxX

Nara Shikamaru looked from Naruto – who was rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish and slightly apologetic grin on his face – to the unconscious Inuzuka Kiba with an equally unconscious Akamaru on his chest – the boy had been placed on three chairs horizontally by the earlier mentioned blond – to the exasperated Sandaime Hokage – who gave a sigh that expressed his thoughts clearly ('_I'm getting too old for this_') – before returning them to the Jinchuuriki.

The Nara's eyebrow twitched in irritation – something that very rarely happens as he would almost never let himself get worked up over _anything_.

Well, anything that didn't involve Naruto, of course.

He couldn't believe what an idiot his blond friend was.

Let it never be said that Uzumaki Naruto was not a very _troublesome_ impulsive unpredictable idiot.

"So, let me get this straight…" Shikamaru said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kiba saw you standing near a bathhouse and called out to you, practically telling the entire village that you were doing something perverted?"

"Which I was _not_, 'ttebayo…" Naruto mumbled under his breath with his head still bowed in shame as if he were being reprimanded by a teacher (who was more often than not, Iruka-sensei).

"You ran away before any of the women in the bathhouse could come out and cause you any permanent bodily harm?" Shikamaru confirmed.

"What else was I supposed to do…?"

"Kiba followed you and – for some unexplained and most probably idiotic reason – challenged you to a fight?"

Naruto nodded before he shot a glare at the unconscious Inuzuka.

"You guys fought and early in the fight, Kiba and Akamaru used the Juuji Bunshin no Jutsu?"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms like the child he physically was. "Don't say it like it's all _my_ fault, Shikamaru! I tried talking some sense into the guy but he just _wouldn't_ listen, dattebayo! And when he realized that I was dodging all of his attacks, Kiba got pissed… and… and…" Naruto's voice faded before he gulped at the glare Shikamaru was shooting at him for opening his mouth. "I'll shut up now…"

"So," Shikamaru cleared his throat with his glare still in place and locked on target. "You thought that the best course of action would be to knock them out?"

Naruto only nodded.

"And you thought that using the Kyuubi's chakra would be perfect for just that? You didn't think – not for _one second_ – of the consequences of using the demon's chakra on Kiba and Akamaru such as… oh, I don't know… the possibility of them _regaining their memories_?"

Naruto didn't reply but his silence and the way he lowered his head was more than enough of an answer for the other two occupants of the room. It wasn't his fault. Honest! Naruto had been in Bijuu Mode most of the time during the war. He was just so used to using its flame-like chakra, it had become a habit to activate it when fighting.

Although his voice remained in the exact same volume throughout his rant, Nara Shikamaru was _pissed_.

And justifiably so.

His plans were _ruined_ (Well, not exactly ruined, but he was going to have to make some _major_ changes to them if he wanted them to have any chance of working) all because Naruto had to be himself by doing something completely and utterly _unpredictable_. Nara Shikamaru does not like it when one of his plans _doesn't_ _work_. Because when they don't, it would usually lead him to think of that one _certain occasion_ where his plan _didn't work_ and cost him the life of his teacher.

And although Asuma-sensei was alive and kicking at this moment, he still did _not_ like to think of _that time_.

Thinking about it makes him broody and depressed and all Uchiha-like.

He didn't like it when that happens either.

Not half-an-hour ago, Shikamaru had been lazing in front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop while he and Chouji waited for Ino to be done with helping her parents before the three of them headed for the training ground Asuma-sensei said they would meet at. (It was a habit his team had gotten in the earlier timeline.) He was just about to fall asleep when a panicked and distressed Naruto dropped from the flower shop's roof – none too elegantly – and began screaming unintelligible words in his ears.

Once the blond had realized that Shikamaru could barely understand a word he said, Naruto had proceeded with pulling on Shikamaru's arm – and nearly tearing it out of its socket – before he teleported the both of them to the Hokage's office where a slightly grateful Sandaime (anything to get out of doing paperwork) sat waiting for them with the unconscious Inuzuka boy. Naruto – once he had calmed down slightly – then told Shikamaru of the events that had unfolded before his arrival before he began yelling once more of how he had forgotten of what the Bijuu's chakra could do and of how he had not meant to do that and that he had messed up their plans and oh, Shikamaru _what the hell were they going to do?!_

"So you thought that the best idea would be to ring him _here_?" Shikamaru continued questioning. "The Hokage's office? When Sandaime-sama could have very well been in the middle of a meeting with someone who is not involved or knowledgeable of the truth?"

"But he wasn't…" Naruto mumbled softly – suddenly regaining his lost courage.

Shikamaru sighed (_Man, I _really_ need to stop doing that_.) "I'm surrounded by troublesome _idiots_." He made sure to emphasize of the 'idiot_s_'part because he knew – even if he didn't act like it – that Kiba had some fault in this as well. What the hell did that dog-brained moron think he would gain by challenging Naruto to a fight so early in the morning anyway? Couldn't he have done it in the afternoon – preferably _after_ Shikamaru's mid-day nap?

While Shikamaru was scolding Naruto on why he shouldn't use his Bijuu Mode in front or on anyone who knew nothing of the truth – and remind him not to use his Sage Mode, the Rasengan or anything else that could blow their cover – Sarutobi watched quietly from the sidelines trying his best – and not really succeeding – at hide his amusement. It was interesting to see Naruto get scolded by someone his age and actually look sincerely guilty and ashamed. Naruto never listens to those he did not respect – Sarutobi knew this from experience – and for him to sincerely consider his friend's words says a lot.

He had to admit, the Nara boy was something else. He could now see how his son could easily get suspicious of Shikamaru's recent behavior. Though there were more than a few similarities, there were many differences as well – subtle differences that no one less than a Jounin could notice. This boy was intelligent, extremely so – if the plan he and Naruto had proposed to him yesterday evening was any indication.

And compared to the young Nara Shikamaru he had met on his latest visit to the Academy, this one put more effort in his actions. Sarutobi could tell that by his actions when the boy was around Naruto. He remembered Jiraiya telling him – from what he had seen through Naruto's memories – how after his death and during the Fourth War, every Shinobi had been determined to protect the last two Jinchuurikis – Naruto and the current Raikage's brother. Apparently, they took the job very seriously, or at least Shikamaru does with the way he always makes sure that he stands in between Naruto and any other person in the room – the boy was even doing it now by placing himself between Sarutobi and Naruto – and how he makes sure to sweep his surroundings with his eyes even sixty seconds. It almost seems as if these actions had been engraved into his mind like an old unbreakable habit.

The same goes for Naruto. The boy was no longer the same goof off he had been when he was – mentally – twelve years old. He was a skilled Fuuinjutsu user – even if he claims that he was not as great as Jiraiya or Minato, Sarutobi still thinks that the boy was well adapt in the art. Naruto was more calm and mature and less exuberant and foolhardy. (Okay, so maybe he was still those things even if it was toned down _slightly_). And from what Jiraiya had told him, Naruto had grown up to be a powerful, strong and courageous Shinobi. His student had even went as far as saying that Naruto might have been the most powerful Shinobi in the entire world – right before he boasted on how _he _had been the one to train the boy, of course.

In other words, Sarutobi Hiruzen was proud of _both_ of them. He had always said that younger generation would always surpass the previous ones – the evidence was standing right in front of him.

Speaking of which, Exhibit C was just about to wake up himself.

XxX

"Aurgh…" the Inuzuka boy groaned as his eyes fluttered open slowly, Akamaru was not far behind his partner to the road of consciousness.

"Wha…?" Kiba slowly sat up, mindful of the small dog on his chest before he began to realize exactly how _small_ the dog – _puppy!_ – was. "Akamaru…? Huh?"

Akamaru gave a small squeaky yelp at his human – who, the dog could have sworn, had been much smaller than he was the last time the canine had checked.

Kiba was confused – and rightfully so. What the hell just happened? Didn't he…? And Akamaru…? Last thing he remembered…? Shino…? _Shino_?! The war! Madara and-!

"Woah there, Kiba," someone – and extremely familiar someone – said as a hand was placed soothingly on his shoulder. "Calm down, dattebayo. You're hyperventilating."

Kiba's eyes widened before he looked up to see two familiar faces – faces of people who he had never thought he would see ever again.

"Na-Naruto…?" the Inuzuka boy stuttered, his eyes grew wider as his skin paled. "Shika-_Shikamaru_…?!"

Wait a minute! Hadn't Shikamaru _died_?! And wasn't he dead as well?! If they were _both_ dead, then could this be the afterlife?! But then why did Shikamaru look so young? And what the heck was _Naruto_ doing here? The idiot wasn't supposed to die! Was all that even _real_?! Did all that stuff really happen? A-And what had been all those images he saw? It looked like some sort of scary movie! What the-?!

"He's freaking out again," _the_ _young_ Shikamaru noted unhelpfully.

Sensing his master's confusion and distress – though he was quite confused himself – Akamaru braced his front paws on Kiba's chest and began to lick at his face – in what kaamru thought to be – soothingly.

"I can see that, 'ttebayo," Naruto muttered dryly before he shot his dog-loving friend a look of concern.

"Maybe I could get some tea to soothe Kiba-kun's nerves?" a deep voice – obviously belonging to that of an adult – inquired from behind Kiba.

The young Inuzuka turned around and froze. He stared at the old man – the _Sandaime Hokage_ – who sat behind the large desk for a few moments before his skin turned paler than Sai's – which was really saying something – before he lost consciousness to the world of the living once more.

"Ah, he passed out again, dattebayo." This time it was Naruto who made a blunt comment.

Akamaru gave out an alarmed bark.

"I can see that," Shikamaru repeated the boy's words from earlier. "Man, this is so troublesome."

As he promptly ignored the earlier jibe, Naruto began to wonder. "So, does everyone have their own way of reacting to their memories or can we expect more passing out in the future?" It was true. Naruto had cried, Jiraiya had said that it felt like waking up to the mother of all hangovers, Shikamaru had only called it all troublesome and Kiba had freaked out he passed out again.

If everyone really _did_ have their own reactions to this, then Naruto was _certainly_ looking forward to returning the memories of his allies very soon.

XxX

When Kiba had woken up for the third time that morning – it was almost 7:15 am – the first thing out of his mouth had been: "_Damnit_, _Naruto_! For the sake of everyone's sanity, will you _quit_ _it_ with doing the impossible already?!"

To which Naruto had quickly replied: "For the record, none of this was my idea, dattebayo. This was all those damned Bijuus' fault."

"Troublesome idiots," was all Shikamaru had said. Though, if his words were of the nine Bijuu or Naruto and Kiba, no one knew.

After that, Naruto and Shikamaru had spent fifteen minutes explaining to Kiba of all the things that had happened since Naruto had regained his memories and of the plan Shikamaru had concocted the day before.

"Can me and Akamaru come?" Kiba asked from his seat in regards of said plan.

Akamaru barked in a questioning way as well.

"It's _Akamaru and I_,"Shikamaru sighed once more – _Stop it!_ "And you might as well."

"Sorry about this, Old Man," Naruto said with a sheepish rub to the back of his head to the old Hokage. "But do you think you can cover for Kiba too?" The old Hokage had already said that he would make up an excuse (something he found himself to be surprisingly good at) for Shikamaru's absence to give to the Nara clan. Naruto was slightly reluctant of asking him to do the same with the Inuzuka clan. He knew very well how difficult the clan heads could be at times. And Naruto _had_ offered to make Kage Bunshins of themselves when they had to leave, but Shikamaru told him that it wouldn't work.

The Sandaime nodded while on the inside, he cried a waterfall of tears that he would have to redo all of that paperwork. "Of course. But Naruto-kun, you have to realize that I can't keep this quiet from the council for long. If you're all absolutely sure about this, then I suggest you finish up your mission to Nami quickly then leave for Kiri immediately after."

Naruto and Shikamaru nodded. "We're sure, 'ttebayo. Shikamaru was the one who came up with this idea. He isn't known as one of our best strategists during the war for nothing, dattebayo."

"For how long does your mission to Nami last anyway?" Kiba inquired.

Naruto hummed in thought for a few moments before he turned around to answer the Inuzuka. "About five days, I think. A week tops."

Shikamaru began thinking as well. "This means that we would have to wait for almost an entire month before we can carry out our plan. Do you think you can hide this from the council for that long, Sandaime-sama?"

The Sandaime nodded. This wouldn't be the first time he had to hide something from the council. The longest he had been able to hide anything from them had been for almost thirteen years – once again, the blond evidence was standing right in front of him. Till that very day, Homura, Koharu, Danzo and all the members of the civilian council had yet to know that their precious Yondaime Hokage had married Uzumaki Kushina – someone they had referred to as an outsider – and had had a son with said redhead and named him Naruto. The only ones who did know were Jiraiya, Kakashi and the Sandaime himself. Though a number of the shinobi had known that Minato and Kushina had gotten married and that they were expecting a child, they didn't know that the child was Naruto and had all thought that the entire family had perished during the Kyuubi attack. The only ones who knew the entire truth were Jiraiya, Kakashi, Hiruzen himself and now Naruto – he wasn't exactly sure if Shikamaru and Kiba knew of Naruto's parentage or not.

"So, Kiba," Shikamaru said. "I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"What…?" Kiba asked with slight apprehension.

"Why did you fight Naruto earlier today?" Shikamaru asked.

If he remembered correctly, when they were younger, Kiba didn't see Naruto as someone strong enough for him to bother acknowledging – let alone challenge fights to. The twelve-year-old Inuzuka had a great amount of pride and thought himself stronger than _every_ one of his ex-classmates – the young Uchiha included. He was curious as to what it was that ran through the boy's head when he asked _Naruto_ – whom he had thought of as no more than a hopeless loser until the blond had defeated him in the Chunin Exams – to fight him.

"Hmm," Kiba hummed in thought and scratched his head. He was probably trying to sort out the memories of the new timeline from the old. "Oh, I remember now," he exclaimed softly.

Shikamaru arched an eyebrow in question. Even Naruto and the Sandaime were curious.

"Last night, I saw Sakura teaching Ino the tree climbing exercise," he began explaining. "Kurenai-sensei would teach us how to do that next week, so I didn't really know that the exercise isn't that big of a deal and that pretty much every Shinobi can do it. I was… Well, I was upset that the two biggest Uchiha fangirls could do something I couldn't. And When Sakura told Ino that it was _Naruto_ who taught her how to do it, I got angrier."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding. Naruto had told him of what he had done with Sakura yesterday, so the news wasn't much of a shock to him. He understood that Kiba had been jealous because Naruto the Dead Last could do something he couldn't. So he had convinced himself that defeating Naruto in a fight was the only way he could reassure his pride that he was still better than the useless fangirls and the loser.

"So Sakura-chan taught Ino the tree-walking exercise?" Naruto asked with mild surprise. He thought she and Ino were still each other's worst enemies in this time and that they wouldn't become friends again until the Chunin Exams.

"It must have happened after we left Ichiraku's yesterday," Shikamaru guessed.

Suddenly, Naruto froze before he let out a loud groan. "They're pissed, 'ttebayo."

"What?" Kiba questioned. "Who?" Just as the word left his mouth, the young Inuzuka froze as well, having smelled the very familiar scents walking towards the Hokage's office. His teammates were on their way – probably to get the mission they were going to carry out that day. He hadn't come back to meet his team and Kurenai-sensei _hated_ it when he was late. Oh boy…

"It's 7:55am," Shikamaru noted once he understood what the other two were so worried about. "We stayed here longer than we thought." Then, the young genius groaned. "Ino's going to yell at me and be all troublesome about this. I just know it."

"You think you guys got it bad," Naruto shuddered. "I've got _Sakura-chan_ to worry about, dattebayo!"

Akamaru whimpered in pity. Poor boys. At least he wouldn't get scolded. He was too cute for anyone to yell at.

XxX

Shimura Danzo sipped his tea silently as he picked up the results of yesterday's Genin Tests. He would have done so yesterday, but he had his own test to carry out for his organization, ROOT.

The names he had given for the two boys were Shin and Sai. He had just begun their test yesterday and wouldn't be checking up on them until the end of the week. Both boys showed great potential. They were more or less evenly matched in skills, strength and power. Honestly, Danzo wouldn't be surprised if either of them survived until the end of the week.

Danzo picked the file on the newly formed Team 7 first, the team that has both the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the young Uchiha as part of its members. Danzo knew that placing Hatake Kakashi as the team's Jounin guide was Hiruzen's was of placating Homura and Koharu under the pretense that Kakashi was the only option available as someone who could help Uchiha Sasuke master his Sharingan and because, if the Jinchuuriki ever lost control of the Bijuu, only an Uchiha with a true Sharingan – and not one that had been implanted such as his or Kakashi's – could control and subdue it just as Uchiha Madara had done so over a century before.

But Danzo knew that that was not so.

Hiruzen's real reason for placing the Hatake boy – everyone under the age of fifty was a _boy_ or _girl _or _child _in his old and weary eyes – on Team 7 was not because of Uchiha Sasuke, but because Uzumaki Naruto was on said team. Danzo suspected, Hiruzen did it because Hatake Kakashi was the only Jounin – that had enough free time to be a Jounin Instructor – who was extremely loyal to the Hokage and would dare defy Danzo and the Council even if it were to mean treason.

This was why Danzo enjoyed – and at times, looked forward to – the weekend Shogi matches he had with Hiruzen. Because Hiruzen was an intelligent and extremely challenging opponent and going against him was never anywhere near short of exciting.

The Hokage might have won this round, Danzo would give him that, but the crippled old Shinobi was much too stubborn to admit defeat.

One day, Danzo will be the one who sits on the mantle of Hokage. He would make sure of it. He already had the Daimyo and the Council wrapped around his wrinkly old finger. If an election of the next candidate were to be made, he would win, without a doubt.

Who would even dare to oppose him? The Sanin were definitely out of the question. One of them was a nuke-nin and the other two hadn't even stepped foot on Konoha for over twelve years. The Clan Heads already had a clan of their own to look after on top of their usual duties as Shinobi. Everyone else would shoot down the offer in a heartbeat if it was given to any of them. The only people Danzo could think of who wanted to become Hokage still couldn't even be considered teenagers.

Unfortunately, for Danzo, the seat of Hokage was already occupied and he couldn't see an election coming up anytime soon. And Danzo wasn't stupid enough to even _pretend _he and his ROOT could pull off an assassination on the Sandaime. After all, Hiruzen wasn't called the God of Shinobi for sitting in an office doing paperwork non-stop for eighteen hours of the day.

No, Danzo couldn't become Hokage. Not yet, anyway. But he will be, Danzo would make sure of it.

But until then, he would just have to content himself with sitting in the shadows, pulling a few strings and planting a few of his ROOT here and there, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to _strike_.

A smirked graced Danzo's lips as he read the Hatake boy's report on Uchiha Sasuke's action during the test.

Hmm? Chunin level taijutsu and ninjutsu… above average intelligence and skill... Heh. Danzo expected nothing less from an Uchiha.

So the girl did the least during the test… taken out with a simple genjutsu… The requirements of passing the Genin Exams these days must be extremely low for someone of that caliber to have been allowed to graduate.

And now, onto our resident Jinchuuriki. Let's see, taijutsu skills could use some room for improvement. Jounin level chakra reserves – judging by the number of Kage Bunshin the boy created during the test. Considering the boy's Jinchuuriki status and Uzumaki lineage, Danzo wasn't too surprised. Showed a great amount of cunning and has some skills in Fuuinjutsu… Oh, something that resembles the Hiraishin. How interesting. And… emotion sensing?

That was when an old memory decided to flash through Danzo's mind. A memory of one of the few times he'd talked to the Shodaime's late wife, Uzumaki Mito. He was still an academy student and had heard of the beautiful woman living in the Shodaime's old house alone. She never comes out and hires a few Genin teams to buy her neccesities for her once a week. He'd heard a few people whisper that Mito-sama had long passed on, having committed suicide at the news of her husband's death and that only her spirit remains in that old traditional house, waiting for the day her husband returns home.

Danzo had come to that house, slightly frightened and extremely curious, to confirm the rumors himself. He'd snuck into the house and explored a part of it before he reached the sitting room saw the beautiful red haired woman sipping tea delicately from a porcelain cup.

Danzo had stayed in the shadows and watched the woman for five minutes – debating with himself on the existence of ghosts and whether the woman in front of him was dead or alive – before he saw her breath a soft sigh and put up another cup before filling it with hot tea.

Danzo had jumped when she spoke in his direction in a monotone voice, as if she knew he had been there all along. "Are going to just stand there all day or will do this old woman a favor and join her for a cup of tea?"

After Danzo had stepped out of the shadows and sat across from her at the table, he had asked how she had known he was there. Danzo thought that – if he asked nicely enough – she could teach him how to do the same.

Mito had glanced at him over the rim of her cup for a few seconds. Then, she told him that she had '_sensed_' his emotions. His apprehension, confusion, curiosity and fear.

Danzo didn't understand at first, but he just shrugged and thought that she was lying. There was no way Danzo had been afraid. The old woman must only be humoring him.

It was only many, _many_ years, a few weeks before Uzumaki Kushina's expected arrival as the next Jinchuuriki, did Danzo understand. The ability to sense negative emotions… it was something Uzumaki Mito had gained from the Kyuubi.

And Danzo could see how greatly valuable such ability was. For a Shinobi could always cover his footprints, cover his face and expression with a mask, disguise himself, cover his scent with another stronger odor and be as silent as a ghost when necessary… but no Shinobi, no matter how skilled or stealthy, could completely extinguish his emotions.

A Shinobi experiences a great amount of negative emotions daily. Fear of his enemies, disappointment in a failed mission, sadness at the death of a comrade, apprehension and suspicion at a stranger and many more. Though he did not train them for this exact purpose, Danzo knew that the only ones who had any _hope_ – not _chance_ – at rendering the power completely useless were his ROOT members.

Yes, what a remarkable ability indeed.

And for this twelve-year-old _failed weapon _to have gained the ability at such a young age was a great accomplishment. Uzumaki Mito had to go through years of training to become one with the Kyuubi and tame it to have gained the power. Danzo suspected that Uzumaki Kushina might have been able to control the Kyuubi and gain the power as well if her seal had allowed it. For the seal Hiruzen and Lady Mito was one only meant for _suppressing_ the Kyuubi's power and not channel or control it such as most Jinchuuriki Seals were meant to do.

It was one of the reasons Danzo never even considered turning the girl into a weapon in the first place because even if he tried, he could never be able to use the Kyuubi's power through her as he wanted to. Danzo had planned many times on using the boy as a weapon for Konoha – the _ultimate _weapon, for few can even _hope_ of fighting against the world strongest Bijuu and _win_. But Hiruzen had stopped his every attempt. It was only after the boy had joined the academy did Danzo cease his attempts, for who would want a _fool_ who failed every test and exam thrown at him as any kind of weapon. No, to do that would only lead to disaster.

But this report made Danzo think otherwise. If the boy really had gained this ability, then did that mean… he was in control of the Kyuubi and now had complete access to its immeasurable power and chakra? Did Jiraiya's sudden visit a few days ago have anything to do with it? Had he found something on his travels that allowed him to tamper with the Yondaime's seal and allow the Jinchuuriki to utilize the Bijuu's power?

Hmm. Maybe the boy wasn't as useless as he had first assumed. Danzo would make sure to send a few of his spies to keep an eye on the boy and his progress. And when the time was right, snatch the boy away, train him and turn him into the perfect weapon just as Danzo had planned all those years ago. _Hokage-sama's_ orders be damned.

Yes, directly going against his leader's orders would be seen as an action of great treason. But, one day, Konoha would thank him for creating such a great weapon to be used to protect her. They shall all see that his deeds would do nothing but bring Konoha to an age of peace and prosperity. And soon, the world would see Konoha as what she had always and forever will be…

The greatest and most powerful village in the Five Great Nations.

Everyone would tremble in fear at the utterance of her name and treat her citizens with nothing but the highest respect. No one would dare oppose or attack her, not with the great Kyuubi at her every beck and call.

Not while Danzo stands – as Konoha's _Hokage_ – as the demon's master.

But, until then, Danzo would have to wait. The time will come.

The Kyuubi will be his.

XxX

"Good morning," Kakashi greeted with a wave of his gloved hand and with the other shoved into one of his pants' pocket. "Obito."

There was no answer from the black stone Kakashi was talking to. Not that he expected any.

"Did you know?" Kakashi continued. "I had the strangest dream yesterday."

There was silence for a moment.

"I dreamed about my father."

XxX

_Silence reigned as they both sat facing each other with the small fire cackling and dancing between them. The flames did nothing to warm Kakashi's ice-cold skin. He vaguely wondered if this temperature was normal for the dead._

"_Who would have thought that both you and I would die so early?" the older of the two silver-haired Shinobi broke the silence._

_Kakashi nodded once._

"_Although, not as early as your mother."_

_Neither father nor son dared to look at each other._

_This time, it was Kakashi who spoke. "Father, there's something I've always wanted to ask you…" _

XxX

"I've had a lot of dreams like this," Kakashi admitted. "Dreams where I ask him: 'Why? Why did you do it? How could you have forsaken your duty as a shinobi like that? Why…'" Kakashi swallowed some of the saliva that had gathered in his mouth before he continued. "Why did you leave me?"

A part of him wasn't sure if the last question was meant to be for his father or the friend he was 'talking' to.

Kakashi sighed in a rare display of sadness. "Like I said, I've had a lot of dreams like this before." Then, he gave a small dry smile. "Though, I admit, this is the first time I've dreamt of talking to him in front of a campfire."

Kakashi shifted himself from one foot to another. "And this is the first time… I'd woken up… without feeling bitter or sad. In fact… you could say that… I feel a little… _proud_."

Then, Kakashi smiled and his eye curled up familiarly in a 'U' shape.

"There, I said it, Obito. I'm proud of my father."

Suddenly, Kakashi lifted his head to the sky and he took note of the sun's position. "Maa, looks like I'm late…again."

Kakashi brought his head down to look at the stone once more. "I have to go now. There're a few brats I need to take care of."

He turned around and began his journey to the red bridge – where he was sure both Sakura and Naruto were seething over his tardiness.

"I'll see you later, Obito."

XxX

"_I'm glad we got to talk. Thank you for forgiving me… Now I can move on in peace. And finally see your mother…"_

XxX

"Yo."

"You're late!" a girl's voice screeched.

Sasuke glared at their 'sensei' with his arms crossed over his chest and his breathing slightly uneven since he had just decided to take a break from the tree climbing exercise not ten seconds before Kakashi arrived. Sakura had her fist clenched towards their sensei and a very ugly glare marring her face. And Naruto… wasn't even there.

_Huh? Wait a minute… _"Why are there only two of you?" Kakashi asked as he first pointed to Sasuke – he'd ask the boy how he got those bruises and scratches later – then to Sakura. "Where's Naruto?"

Sasuke glared at him in a way that said, '_What are you asking _me_ for?_'

"Who knows?" Sakura grumbled. "But once I find that idiot, he is going to _pay_ for making us late for our very first mission. Oh yes. First, I'm going to… heh heh-he… and then…"

Kakashi eyed Sakura warily as the pink haired girl muttered a string of death threats from under her breath.

"You know," Kakashi said in an effort to save his third student from bodily harm and torture. "Naruto could be sick or dying somewhere and just forgot to… tell… us…" Kakashi gulped as the girl's green eyes turned to glare coldly at him.

"Uh… right," he cleared his throat as he – somewhat – regained his composure. "Why don't we pick up our mission first, then head over to his apartment and check up on him after we're done?" he asked with his regular smile.

Sasuke grunted, "Hn."

Kakashi's suggestion made Sakura pause her threats and she began thinking. If Naruto wasn't there, then that would mean that it would only be her and Sasuke-kun on the mission. She and Sasuke-kun would be together… _alone_… for the _entire_ day… with _no Naruto_! And if Sasuke-kun got hurt on the mission, _she_ would be the one he turns to and then… and then…!

'_SHANNARO! Love prevails!'_

As all these thoughts ran in her head, Sakura failed to remember that Kakashi – as their sensei – would be present during the mission as well.

XxX

"Naruto?" Sakura called out to her previously absent teammate the moment she saw his orange-clad figure when the rest of Team 7 entered the Hokage's office. "You're here already?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and chucked sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. Well, at least she didn't seem angry at him. That was good, right?

"We were supposed to meet at the bridge then walk to the office _together_," Sasuke said with an annoyed tone. "Or is that too much for your small brain to remember, Usaratonkachi?"

Naruto growled. "Watch it, 'ttebayo," he warned as he stepped closer to his teammate until their faces were nearly touching. Though there was barely any malice in his tone. He was only pretending to be annoyed because he hadn't been able to fight like this with Sasuke very often in the old timeline and honestly, he missed bickering with his best friend. And of course, because it also seemed like something the twelve-year-old Naruto would do. He was undercover, it was important for him to keep up appearances. "You trying to start something with me, huh, teme?"

"Naruto-baka," Sakura growled from Sasuke's side. "Don't call Sasuke-kun a 'teme'!"

The Sandaime chuckled, bringing everyone's attention to him. "That was my fault," he said, clearly amused at the childish bickering he was seeing. Only Naruto would be able to make a stoic Uchiha act in such an un-Uchiha manner. The boy was very much like his mother in that aspect as Kushina had been the only one who had been able to make her best friend, Mikoto burst out laughing at random moments and also get more of a reaction than an annoyed grunt from Fugaku such as the day she swapped his shampoo with neon green hair dye. "There was something I needed to discuss with Naruto-kun, am I'm afraid that it just couldn't wait."

The old Hokage had used the same excuse when Kiba and Shikamaru's team had come to pick them up before. Naruto's team was the last to come thanks to Kakashi's tardiness.

Although he was extremely curious with what the Sandaime had discussed with Naruto, Kakashi knew better than to ask in front of Sasuke and Sakura. They might have been talking about Naruto's father or the Kyuubi for all he knew. Besides, he could always ask the old Hokage later this evening after the mission reports had been sent in.

"Alright, guys," Kakashi called with a lazy tone to his Genin. "Try your best to hold back your excitement. Today, you all will get your first mission as ninjas." At the same time, the Jounin's eyes flashed dangerously. _Suckers_.

Sasuke smirked. He was looking forward to testing out his skills on the battle field. No matter how hard the young Uchiha tried to suppress it, Naruto could very easily sense his anticipation if only because he knew the youngest Uchiha so well.

Sakura beamed. This would be the first of many missions she would have with her Sasuke-kun. She couldn't wait! She wondered what kind of mission they would get. She hoped it wasn't too dangerous.

"Dattebayo…" Naruto groaned and raised his fist mockingly. It wasn't hard for the others to tell that he was _not_ looking forward to it from the almost-painful grimace on his face.

XxX

_Two weeks of non-stop D-Ranked missions later…_

"Hell no!" Naruto cried out and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "No thanks to all of those, dattebayo!" He ran up to the Hokage and slammed his hands on the desk furiously. "We're full-fledged Shinobi now! I want to do more exciting missions, 'ttebayo! Weeding an old hag's yard and babysitting royal brats is anything _but_ exciting! C'mon Jii-chan, _pleeease~_!"

_For once_, Sasuke thought with his face set in a scowl. _I completely agreed with the idiot._

Sakura bit her lip._ He has a point._

_I had a feeling that he was going to do this sooner or later_, Kakashi thought with a sigh.

Unknown to half of the members of Team 7, Team 8 was standing outside the door – with a drunken old man sitting next to them. They had finished their mission and came to the office to hand in their report and get another one.

Hinata turned bright red the moment she recognized Naruto's voice booming from the Hokage's office. Shino's face remained expressionless. Kurenai sighed and sat down in one of the vacant chairs. She had a feeling that they were going to be waiting out here for a while.

Kiba on the other hand, widened his eyes at the argument Naruto was having with Iruka-sensei. Naruto's acting skills were really good. He was sincerely impressed.

Back in the office, the Hokage had just finished explaining to Naruto of the importance of the different mission ranks. After that he reprimanded the blond for not listening to a single word he had said.

"I know already, dattebayo," Naruto grumbled. "You always lecture me like that, Jii-chan." Naruto crossed his arms and looked at the Sandaime straight in the eyes. "But I'm not the kid who used to pull pranks anymore, 'ttebayo! I'm a Genin now! I've grown up!"

As if to prove his point, Naruto sat cross-legged on the wooden floor and turned around so that his back was facing the Sandaime and Iruka with his arms still crossed over his chest and grumbling under his breath at the unfairness of it all. The blond remembered doing the exact same thing in the first timeline.

Sakura looked worriedly between Naruto and the Sandaime. Was he even allowed to talk to their Hokage that way? Sasuke just shook his head at Naruto in irritation.

Kakashi could faintly remember Obito doing the same thing back when the spiky haired Uchiha and Rin had first joined Kakashi and Minato-sensei as a team. Sometimes, the silver-haired Jounin wondered if Naruto was actually Obito's reincarnation with how very much alike the two were with each other.

Iruka just smiled at the orange-clad Genin, not that Naruto could see him. The old Hokage chuckled.

"Very well, I understand," the Sandaime said, gaining the attention of every person in the room. "If you insist, I shall allow you to take on a C-ranked mission."

Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened. They couldn't believe their ears.

Kakashi and Iruka were shocked as well, but they did well to hide it.

"Seriously?" Naruto exclaimed in excitement.

"Yes," Hiruzen said. He picked out a scroll from the piles of C-Ranks and scanned it briefly to make sure that it was the right one. "Your mission is to escort a certain person to a small country at the border of Hi no Kuni."

"Ano sa, ano sa," Naruto babbled on. "Who is it? Is it a feudal lord? Or a princess? How're we gonna get there anyway?"

The Sandaime raised a hand as a sign for Naruto to calm himself. "Be patient. I'll introduce him now."

From the other side of the door, Team 8 heard the Sandaime call, "You may enter, Tazuna-san."

Kiba and the others watched as the drunken old man shook his head in surprise when he heard someone call his name – he had just nodded off to sleep when the Sandaime called for him.

Kiba took note of the fishermen's garb the old man wore, the muscled arms that could have only be attained from years of hard work and the strong stench of alcohol that clung to him like second skin. _So this is the old man that Naruto mentioned_, the young Inuzuka thought to himself. Then, he gave a mental scoff. _Good luck, Uzumaki. 'Coz it looks like you're gonna need it._

The old man stood up with a groan before the door to the Hokage's office was opened and he walked in.

When Tazuna walked into the room, the first thing he noticed were the three brats standing (well, one of them was sitting, actually) in the middle of the room next to a man with white hair and a mask covering most of his face. One of them had this gloomy air surrounding him, the other wore a kill-me-orange and black jacket that made him a moving target and the girl had pink hair so bright, his eyes were watering (although, it could have been because of the alcohol he had drank not too long ago). These people were supposed to be ninja, yet they stuck out more than a stick of celery in a basket full of apples.

Tazuna began to wonder if all the stories he had heard of the prowess and professionalism of Konoha Shinobi held any truth in them.

"Are you kidding me? They're just a bunch of brats!" Tazuna cried out. "And are you sure that the short one with the stupid face is really a ninja?"

Out in the hall, Kiba tried (unsuccessfully) to stifle the bark of laughter that was begging to come out of his mouth. He had a pretty good idea of who the old man was talking about. And if he compared it to what kind of ninja he knew Naruto really was he just found it impossible not to see the humor in such irony. _Old man, you have _no_ idea._

Naruto could feel a tick forming on his head. This time, he didn't bother to measure his height with Sasuke and Sakura like he did before. He knew that the old bridge builder was talking about him.

"Why you-?" the blond growled. "I'm gonna-! Kakashi-sensei, let me at him! No one insults the great Uzumaki Naruto and gets away with it, dattebayo!"

Sasuke briefly wondered if he should be concerned that Naruto just – in a way – admitted to being 'short' and having a 'stupid face'.

Kakashi – who had the back of Naruto's orange-and-black jacket held in a tight grip – sighed. "He's our client. A good Shinobi doesn't beat up the person who's paying him for his services, baka."

It was then that Team 10 arrived at the front of the Hokage's Office covered in patches of white paint. They had just come back from a mission where they had to paint and old woman's newly put-up fence.

Hearing the annoyed growls and exasperated sighs coming from inside, Asuma asked Kurenai, "Do I even _want_ to know?"

Kurenai answered, "Eve if you did, I wouldn't be able to answer you anyway."

"I can hear Naruto's voice in there," Chouji said.

From what Chouji had said, Ino correctly deducted that if Naruto was in the office, then the rest of Team 7 (most importantly, Sasuke-kun) must be there as well. She quickly straightened her hair and cleaned her face of white paint as best as she could and for when Sasuke-kun exited the office. This would be the first time he saw her in sixteen hours (she had 'accidentally' bumped into Sasuke yesterday evening at the market district when the young Uchiha had been out grocery shopping for himself). She wanted to make sure that Sasuke-kun realized how much more beautiful she was compared to yesterday and that she would only grow more beautiful every day.

"He's probably just being his usual troublesome self," Shikamaru said.

This lead Hinata to defend Naruto softly on how he wasn't really as troublesome as Shikamaru thought. Actually it came out more like, "N-Naruto-kun isn't r-really t-troublesome, Shi-Shikamaru-san. Y-You know, once you g-get t-to know him a l-little. N-Not th-that I know him v-very well myself! It's j-just th-that I… I…!" At this point, Hinata had a blush on her face that could rival a tomato and had promptly told herself to shut up before she embarrassed herself any further.

The old man took another swig of sake. Something told him that his journey back to Nami was going to be a _long_ one. "I am the super bridge builder, Tazuna the Great. I'm counting on you guys to protect me from the day we head back to my home country until the day my bridge is finished."

Once everyone had introduced themselves, the Genin members of Team 7 were ordered to pack lightly ("_Lightly_, Naruto! That means no more than _five_ cups of instant ramen, understood?") then, to meet up at Konoha's Front Gates in less than an hour.

They walked out of the office – Kakashi had stayed behind to sign and officially accept the mission – with Sasuke in the lead. Naruto had his hands resting behind his head as he grumbled of 'drunken old men' who 'underestimate his awesomeness as a ninja'.

"Don't you think that you're having _too_ _much_ fun with this?" Shikamaru asked Naruto softly – loud enough for the others to know that he was talking to Naruto, but soft enough for them to have to strain their ears to hear his words. Seriously, Shikamaru thought that Naruto was being too comfortable in his character. If he didn't know any better, Shikamaru would have thought that Naruto _enjoyed_ playing the fool.

Naruto turned his head slightly to Shikamaru's direction, so that the young genius would be able to clearly see the wink he sent him.

Oh, he was _enjoying_ himself _very_ much.

Naruto could now see how Madara had been able to act like such an incompetent idiot for so long. Pretending to be weaker than you were and having people underestimate you while you silently laugh at them and their ignorance was just _exhilarating_!

Naruto walked over to the members of Team 8 and greeted them with an enthusiastic, "Good morning!"

This left Sasuke to fend off Ino and Sakura's insufferable ways alone. He had been hoping that the dobe would be too eager for the mission and challenge him to see who could pack their things faster – or something equally stupid – therefore giving him a good reason to vacate the Hokage's Office and leave the girls' presence. He held back a groan at having his biggest fans practically hanging off of his arms. Chouji and Shikamaru – deciding to be a little mean today – left the Uchiha to suffer while they joined Naruto and Team 8 for a nice chat.

From inside the Hokage's Office, Kakashi caught a glimpse of Kurenai – she had yet to make a move to get herself off of the chair – and Asuma through the open door. The Sandaime's son had his dark brown eyes on the young Genin – most of his attention lingering on the young Nara heir and Konoha's resident Jinchuuriki.

Kakashi knew that Asuma hadn't bought the – admittedly logical – explanations the Sandaime had given them the other day. Kakashi didn't buy them either. He couldn't be too sure of the Nara boy – he remembered meeting the boy a few years ago when he caught him skipping the Academy with Chouza's son – but there was _definitely_ something different about Naruto. Kakashi just wasn't sure what it was.

Kakashi could just justify the boy's sudden change to aftershock. Naruto had not only been told of his parentage and his pretty-much-extinct clan, but had also gained new abilities – such as the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Hiraishin and Emotion Sensing – and was _probably_ just overwhelmed by it all. But Kakashi was a ninja. And for a ninja, 'probably' was sometimes not enough.

For years Kakashi had kept an eye on Minato-sensei's son from the shadows – at least when he wasn't away on a mission – and he was glad to see the boy grow up happy and healthy – despite the circumstances. But ever since he had been told of the Kyuubi – something Naruto had known for _years_ apparently – something about the boy just… _changed_.

It wasn't anything obvious. Naruto was still the same cheerful, loud, brash, hot-headed and honest person he had always been. He was still the happy young boy Kakashi had watched grow up.

But there were times – usually when he thought that Kakashi wasn't paying attention – when that glow of happiness dimmed. Sometimes, Naruto would stop whatever he was doing and just stare at nothing in particular. Other times, Naruto would look at the Hokage Monument – or even at Sasuke – with some unidentifiable emotion (Was it sadness? Or regret? Pain? Longing?) swimming in his blue eyes.

It was painful for Kakashi to watch.

Kakashi wanted to know what it was that caused his sensei's son so much pain. He knew he had to help Naruto. He had let the boy down enough by not taking care of him like he was supposed to. Kakashi could not afford adding more to his long list of regrets.

He wanted to help Naruto. The question was 'how'.

It was obvious that the Sandaime knew something but was hiding it from them. He had tried asking him themselves, but the old Hokage had skillfully dodged each question with a plausible excuse back him up. He could always try snooping around the Hokage's Office for clues, but the man was the Hokage and only an idiot with the urge of wanting to be placed under the suspicion of treason would try something as stupid as that.

Thankfully, Kakashi also knew that the Nara boy knew something – the words he had spoken to Naruto that evening at Ichiraku's hinted as such. Kakashi was sure of it.

So, he and Asuma had silently decided to band together to find out what was going on with their Genin. Every time they met up – whether purposely or by chance – they would tell the other of their suspicions or ideas of what it was that their Genin were up to. Asuma only wanted to do it because he knew that Shikaku would kill him if anything happened to his only child and he did nothing to prevent it.

Kakashi felt that something was not right with the mission. The bridge builder was hiding something. He could feel it in his gut.

Which is why the Jounin knew that what he was about to do next would be the right choice.

"Sandaime-sama," Kakashi said to the Hokage. "I would like to request…"

XxX

"What are _they_ doing here, dattebayo?!" Naruto exclaimed.

He had finished packing the necessary things he would need on the mission (And no, he did _not_ pack more than fifteen cups of instant ramen… Iruka-sensei did say _fifteen_, right?) and had been standing at the village gates with Sasuke and Sakura waiting for Kakashi-sensei to show up with Tazuna.

And yes, Kakashi did show up with Tazuna five minutes later than he did in the first timeline (Honestly, that should have set off his mental warning bell before anything else.), but he also brought others with him.

Four _familiar_ others in fact.

The Genin members of Team 10 walked behind their sensei looking just as confused as the Genin members of Team 7 felt. Something wasn't right here. Naruto didn't like the way Kakashi-sensei was smiling at them. That smile reminded him too much of the one Tsunade-baa-chan gave him when she had a particularly _nasty_ mission saved up _just for him_.

"I invited them to come with us," Kakashi-sensei explained. "I thought that bringing another team with us would ease our client's worries and make the job easier. As the old Shinobi saying goes, 'Two teams make the job more fun'."

Naruto had heard of that saying. Whenever either Kotetsu or Izumo heard it or spoke it themselves, they would usually follow it up with, '-and doubles the insanity'.

By the slight twitch in Shikamaru's brow, it was obvious that his friend recognized it too.

"What?! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shrieked, trying to convince his teacher to change his mind. "We're awesome enough _alone_, 'ttebayo! We don't need some washed up second-rate team for _back_ _up_!"

Then he turned to Chouji and Shikamaru. "No offense, guys."

Shikamaru understood what Naruto was doing. He knew that Shikamaru's plan depended on Naruto's team going on this mission _alone_ just as they did in the first timeline (_What the hell was Asuma-sensei _thinking_, accepting this mission in the first place?_) He wanted Shikamaru's approval of what he was doing, in case this was also part of his plan – which it was _not_ – and he had just been too lazy to tell Naruto in the first place. "None taken." _This was not part of the plan. Just keep up whatever the hell you're doing, Naruto._

Chouji, once he saw that Shikamaru was okay with Naruto's words, thought nothing of them and just nodded. He didn't want to go on this stupid mission. He never really liked leaving Konoha for very long. It made him feel uneasy for some odd reason.

"Hey, what about _me_?!" Ino yelled at her fellow blonde. She was angry at Naruto for not caring so obviously whether she took offense to his statement or not. "And what do you mean 'washed up second-rate'?!"

Secretly, both Sakura and Sasuke agree with Naruto. Sure, this would be their _first_ C-Ranked mission, but how hard could it be? All they had to do was escort an old man back to his home and protect him from a couple of bandits on the way. Back up was hardly necessary.

For Sasuke, this was a great blow to his pride. What did Kakashi call another team for? Did he think that they wouldn't be able to handle it by themselves? (Okay, so maybe Sasuke would have to do pretty much everything on his own because – let's face it – his teammates consisted of the Village Loser, a useless girl who could hardly think for herself and a lazy ass Jounin, but still…) Besides, having _one_ fangirl on the team was bad enough. He didn't need another leech tagging along.

"Now, now, Naruto," Kakashi scolded lightly with his eye closed in an invisible smile. "Be nice because for the rest of this mission, these '_washed up second-rates_' are going to be your teammates."

"_Temporary_ teammates," Ino growled. "It's bad enough that I'm on the same team as _these two_," here Ino shot Chouji and Shikamaru a glare ("Troublesome woman," Shikamaru mumbled, pretty much ignoring the female blonde's words), "I'd rather fight one-on-one with the _Kyuubi _than be on the same team as that Loser and Sakura. Her forehead takes more-than-enough space as it is; I'm surprised there's enough room in your team for three more."

"What was that, you _pig_?!" Sakura yelled.

"Of course, I wouldn't mind being on the same team as _you_, Sasuke-kun," Ino gushed, ignoring the others completely. "In fact, I'd be _honored_."

"Hn."

Naruto rolled his eyes. There it was. The Infamous Typical Uchiha Sasuke Reply For Everything. It was so great; no actual words were even needed.

Asuma eyed the six Genin warily. "For once, I agree with the brats," he said. "Kakashi, are sure this is such a good idea?" Asuma knew that Kakashi only suggested it because he wanted to keep an eye on Naruto and Shikamaru and thought that there would be a higher chance of them slipping up when they were together, but was Asuma really ready to send his team on a C-Ranked mission? Was his _Genin_ ready?

"Now, now, everyone," Kakashi said with a wave of his hand as a placating gesture. "You kids can just think of this as a teamwork exercise. Once you've reached the rank of Chunin, you won't have to stay on the same team anymore and will have to become captains of your own teams with different people being assigned to you on different missions. It's bad to get too comfortable with the teammates you have now, only for you to be uncooperative when you have to work with those who you aren't used to working with or don't like.

"Remember, you're all Konoha Shinobi now, which mean, one day, it will be up to you to work and fight together for our village. You don't want to let our people die just because you refuse to work with certain people, do you?"

At his words, the girls hung their heads in guilt, Chouji fashioned a thoughtful look on his face as did Shikamaru – though Naruto could sense the unease and contemplation under the expression and could only assume that the lazy-ass was trying to think of a way they could use this unexpected change of plans to their advantage without changing much of the original plan. Sasuke turned his head away uncomfortably – though his expression didn't change one bit.

Naruto's face scrunched up to a frown as he thought of something. "So what are we gonna call ourselves while we're on this mission?" he questioned. "Team um… 17?"

"Hn," Sasuke snorted. "I'm surprised you could count that high, dobe."

Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What was that, teme?!"

"Naruto-baka, don't call Sasuke-kun a 'teme'!" both Ino and Sakura yelled together.

"So you're deaf as well as dumb, huh Usaratonkachi?" Sasuke smirked.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me or something, Uchiha?!"

"Why would I? We both know that _I'm_ going to win. I _always_ do."

Kakashi's eye crinkled into a U-shaped line. The masked Jounin took Naruto's earlier question as his way of saying that he'd let Team 10 help them on their mission. "Call it whatever you like," Kakashi said as he tussled Naruto's hair fondly. "Our objective remains the same, even if our name changes."

Tazuna decided that that was the perfect time for him to cut in. "Speaking of our objective," the slightly sober bridge builder grumbled while he let his eyes scan their surroundings, as if he were expecting anyone to jump on them at any moment and his muscles tense, ready to flee if necessary. "I'd very much prefer it if we made it back to my country _today_, thank you very much."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner and apologized. "Right, sorry about that," he said. "C'mon, you kids. Let's go."

"We're not kids!" Naruto yelled in agitation. "We're Shinobi now! That means that we're officially and legally grown adults, dattebayo!"

"Yes, yes," Kakashi said dismissively as they began their journey. "You're all very mature and adult-like. I'll promise to treat you guys to some sake the moment we get back."

Naruto froze.

"_Don't drink any alcohol until you're at least twenty."_

"Never mind," Naruto grumbled. "Forget I said anything, 'ttebayo." There was absolutely no way in _hell_ he was going to drink anything with alcohol in it – at least, not until he was old enough. If his mom ever finds out, she would be _pissed_. And yes, she will find out. Because she was Naruto's mother and Naruto had always been told by the others how mothers always have this way of knowing what was going on with their children.

Mothers were just awesome like that.

XxX

"Is that him? The target?"

"Yes. The description fits him perfectly."

"Looks like he hired some help."

"Hmph. Tree Huggers. Their just a bunch of brats and a couple of old geezers – I mean, do you _see_ the hair on that one with the mask? He must be ancient."

"Nothing we can't take care of, then?"

"Of course not."

XxX

On their journey, Naruto walked up front with Sasuke and Shikamaru just two steps behind. Ino and Sakura walked behind Sasuke, alternating between staring dreamily at his back and glaring daggers at each other. Chouji was walking next to Asuma who took the rear with Tazuna walking between him and Kakashi. This position made it easier for them to protect their client and watch their charges at the same time.

They spent the first half-hour of their journey listening to Kakashi and Asuma's explanation of the Five Great Nations and their Five Kages. Shikamaru didn't really pay much attention to what they were saying – he'd already personally met and fought alongside the – future – Kages and against the long – and soon to be – dead ones, at least once. After all, being a close friend of the Shinobi World Savior had its own set of pros and cons.

And don't get him wrong, Shikamaru wasn't ignoring his once-dead sensei because he was too lazy to listen – though that was _part_ of it – he was just too occupied with thinking up the necessary adjustments to his plans.

You see, the original plan was for Team 7 to go to Nami no Kuni and face Zabuza and Haku _alone_ because this time, they wanted the two nuke-nins _alive_. They had to be for the second phase of the plan to have _any _hope of succeeding. But with Asuma here, things just got fifteen times more complicated. If it was only Kakashi who would be fighting Zabuza, then the ex-Kiri nin's chances of survival would be exponentially higher. Naruto just had to be fast enough to help Zabuza dodge the fatal blow from Kakashi's Chidori and keep Haku from interfering by trying to protect his master once more – Naruto already had the Immobility Seal ready for that precise job.

But with both Kakashi _and_ Asuma fighting – the Copy-Nin of a Thousand Jutsus and one of the Great Twelve Guardian Shinobi – Zabuza's chances of survival just went _screaming _down the metaphorical drain. And if one of them decided to take care of Haku and the other Zabuza, then, though Zabuza would have a higher chance of staying alive until the end, Haku would just lose all of his.

And like he said, they needed _both _of them alive for the second phase.

Shikamaru gave a mental groan.

Normally, Shikamaru didn't mind having complicated plans – it would only give his chances of surviving to see tomorrow's clouds roll by all the higher – but what he did mind was when an unexpected factor makes the plan more complicate for him. What the hell was Asuma-sensei thin-?

"What about you, Shikamaru?" Kakashi said unexpectedly, interrupting the lazy genius's thoughts.

The young Nara clicked his tongue. "I won't even _pretend_ I heard the question," Shikamaru said honestly. "Too troublesome."

Ino glared at the pony-tailed boy. "Stupid Shikamaru," she hissed. "Don't embarrass us in front of Sasuke-kun's sensei."

"Kakashi-san asked us what it was like being in Team 10," Chouji supplied helpfully. "Ino and I already answered but you just stayed quiet."

"Oh." Shikamaru looked at Chouji expectantly – or as expectant as his laziness allowed him to be – and asked, "What did you say?"

Ino snorted. She – like every other person from their class back at the Academy – knew of Shikamaru's love for cloud-watching, but this had to be one of those times where the saying 'head in the clouds' could be used for the usually observant genius. "I told him what a pain it was for someone as smart and skilled as me to be working with someone as lazy and useless as you."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Ino's direction. "Sorry to burst your bubble, _your majesty_," he drawled sarcastically. "But I was asking Chouji, not you."

Ino answered the young Nara's statement with a glare.

"It's great," Chouji said with his mouth half-full of barbeque flavored chips. "The missions are easy…"

"Of course they are," Ino butted in. "We're full-fledged Shinobi now. There's nothing we can't handle."

"…Shikamaru's a great sparring partner…"

"That's because he doesn't really do much when you two spar. All he does is stand there in front of you while whining about how troublesome fighting is."

"…And Asuma-sensei's a good teacher. He even pays for our food after we're done with our missions!"

"And gets his wallet thoroughly cleaned out as a result and… What? Nothing about me?"

Chouji paused and frown in contemplation. "You're an okay teammate, Ino… _I guess_."

"Just '_okay'_?" Ino scowled. "And that '_I guess_' at the end wasn't necessary, you know!"

Chouji continued eating.

Shikamaru hummed. "Giving you guys a long answer would be too troublesome," he said. "So, I'll just go ahead and agree with everything Chouji said."

"And you three?" Asuma asked the remaining Genin. "How're you kids holding up in Team 7?"

Naruto angled his head backwards to look at his teammates separately. "It's okay,dattebayo," he answered honestly before a slight grin made its way to his face. "But it would be a hundred times better if the teme there didn't scowl or glare at anything that breathes twenty-four hours a day."

Sasuke shot a glare at Naruto's direction – which only served to make Naruto's grin widen at having his words proven right. "Hn," Sasuke grunted before a small smirk crawled onto his lips. "Well, for me, things would be a thousand times better if the Dobe said something smart or useful for once in his life."

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks – just as he was about to step on a puddle – before he turned around to glare at Sasuke. "Teme!"

"Usaratonkachi," Sasuke replied in a much lower volume with his glare back in full-force.

Sakura sighed. "I know my days would be _infinitely_ better if Sasuke-kun and Naruto stopped trying to bite each other's heads off every five minutes."

Naruto and Sasuke only continued growling at each other, completely ignoring Sakura's words. "You want me to say something useful, teme? Fine!"

The others stopped in their steps in confusion at Naruto's unexpected declaration.

"There're only supposed to be nine of us, right?" Naruto said with a sly smirk.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And? What's your point, Dobe?"

Naruto's smirk grew. "Nothing, really," he said with a shrug. "'Just thought I should tell you guys that, right now, I'm sensing _eleven_ people not nine, 'ttebayo."

SPLASH!

XxX

_The next morning…_

Murmurs of young children could be heard in the halls of Konoha's Shinobi Academy. At least two dozen eight-year-olds could be seen standing in the second-floor corridor with their eyes and mouths wide-open at the display of…chaos(?)… utter brilliance(?)… sheer insanity(?)… before their eyes.

"Unbelievable…" a boy with snot dripping from his nostrils sniffed in amazement.

"Who could have done this…?" a girl with orange hair tied up in two large pigtails gasped. Her dark eyes were sparkling with horror, shock and a slight hint of admiration.

"Woah!"

"My eyes! Their burning!"

"This is a genjutsu, isn't it? A whacked out test the senseis put up for us, right? S-someone, please tell me this isn't real!"

"Wait, does this mean that class is canceled?"

"This is the best!"

"Shotaro, you baka! It's not the best! This is the _worst_!"

"Yeah! Who do you think the senseis will make clean up?"

"What? Iruka-sensei isn't that cruel… right? _Right_?"

"Yes, he is."

"Aw man!"

Speak of the Devil…"What's all the noise about?" a man with his hair tied in a pony-tail and a scar across the bride of his nose asked the students.

"Iruka-sensei!" one of the girls cried. "Look at this! Just look at it!"

"B-But, before you do, oh wise and fair Iruka-sama… Er, I mean _sensei_. Iruka-_sensei_. Did I say '_sama_'? Oh, silly me, hahaha. Anyway, just thought you should know that I have absolutely nothing to do with this and-"

"He's lying, Iruka-sensei! Ichiro and Kazuki always lie! They probably did this!"

"Wha-? Hey, don't put me into the same category as that _idiot_!"

"What did you call me?!"

Iruka had been paralyzed by the shock of the sight that had once been a classroom. His jaw had dropped to the floor with an audible 'BANG!' and his skin had morphed into a color that could probably rival the Uchiha's pale complexion. The classroom was… was… Oh, he didn't even know any appropriate adjectives he could use for what lay before him.

Everything in the classroom had been turned upside down. Literally.

The chairs and tables were stuck onto the ceiling with… wait, were those _seal_ _tags_? The books and papers, even the _floorboards_, everything! THE class looked like it really did get turned upside down!

And every wide flat surface, the walls, the floor-turned-ceiling, the ceiling-turned-floor, the door and the windows… had been painted a _blinding_ neon-orange color! The entire class was a literal eyesore!

"But, really though, Iruka-sensei, none of us had anything to do with this. We have no idea who did this. Heck, we're just as surprised as you are."

"I'm not," a boy said.

Iruka turned to the student who had spoken. Sarutobi Konohamaru who had gotten a punch upside the head courtesy of his ex-student Uzumaki Naruto and had since then, gotten a complete make-over.

The boy no longer wore that hideous helmet and now donned green goggles exactly like the ones Naruto had worn before he'd graduated. But his appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed. Konohamaru was now less cocky and didn't come barging into the Sandaime's office – interrupting meetings and mission briefings – like before. He was now taking his Shinobi training more seriously, though still contained the same bright and cheerful personality.

"Wh-What do you mean, Konohamaru-kun?" Iruka asked with a slight sense of dread. The young teacher already knew who it was that had done this. Oh, he knew – the orange paint was a _dead_ giveaway. He just hoped that the young Sarutobi would somehow prove him wrong.

"Look there," he said, pointing to the upside-down blackboard.

On its dark surface, written upside-down in multi-colored chalk and crude kanji were the words…

**UZUMAKI NARUTO, THE GREATEST SHINOBI IN HISTORY, WAS HERE!**

Next to the words, were a Chibi-drawn picture of the culprit's grinning face and the fingers of one of his hands in the 'V for Victory' position. Surrounding the words were many other drawing such as Konoha's insignias, red swirls, narutos (the ramen-topping) and bowls of steaming ramen.

"I see," Konohamaru mumbled under his breath with bright flames glowing bright in his eyes. "So, what you're trying to show is that I've gotta try harder to defeat you? Yes, that's it. Come at you when you least expect it… then _strike_! Yes, I understand everything now, Naruto-no-niichan!"

"Konohamaru-kun?" Moegi questioned. "Does that mean you know the guy who did this?"

Konohamaru snorted. "Know him? He's my Oyabun! The greatest Shinobi ever! Uzumaki Naruto!"

"R-Really?" Udon sniffed. "So, he's the one who helped you with your Henge?"

"Yup, that was him!" Konohamaru huffed with pride. "My Naruto-no-niichan!"

"Wow…" Moegi breathed as she eyed their destroyed classroom._ That guy could do all this without __**anyone**__ noticing him… He caught everyone off guard… even sensei…!_

Like Moegi, Udon had also been frozen in sheer unadulterated amazement and admiration… just for a different reason. _So, he's the one who taught Konohamaru that Jutsu… the one with the hot-babe_… Something began dripping from the four-eyed boy's nose, but this time, it wasn't snot.

"Konohamaru-kun…" they both said at the same time.

"Yes…?" Konohamaru angled his head sideways in confusion.

"Please let us join you as apprentices under the great master's tutelage!" they exclaimed with their heads bowed so low they almost touched the floor.

"Who…?" Konohamaru began as he backed up in confusion

"Him!" Udon and Mogi yelled at the same time. "Your Oyabun…!"

A part of Iruka was greatly disappointed. A Shinobi was supposed to be good at covering his tracks. What Naruto did was the equivalent to giving the enemy his own _biography_. Honestly, had he taught the boy nothing? …but, then again, considering the fact that Naruto had left for his first C-Rank just yesterday, maybe Naruto had thought this one through after all.

Wait a minute… C-Rank… yesterday…

"_But I'm not the kid who used to pull pranks anymore, 'ttebayo! I'm a Genin now! I've grown up!"_

That liar!

Iruka began chuckling as a dark aura surrounded him. "'Greatest Shinobi', huh? More like _dead_ Shinobi!" he growled. "'Grown up' my ass! Damn you…!"

"_UZUMAKI NARUTO!_" three voices yelled as one – two in admiration and wonder and the other – the oldest – in rage.

Their voices were so loud; the prankster himself could have sworn he heard it all the way from Nami no Kuni.

XxX

Recommended fic of the chapter: Uchiha Obito, Ghost! By Namikaze Artemis – a Naruto fanfic.


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